Perhaps it is because of all of the rain we've had, or even the persistent chill in the air at night, but for some reason, I've never before felt so excited for Spring.  There are so many beautiful little birds around, and the wisteria at our house is more vibrant and fragrant than I can ever remember.  I hope that you are out there enjoying a little taste of the season as well.  As I write this, I know that there is snow in New York City, and thunderstorms across the middle of the country, but here in Venice, it feels like winter is behind us.     

In the spirit of the season, I find it inspiring to wear brightly colored stones and shake off the grey foggy weather we have had near the beach.  We have beautiful new pieces in bright and bold colors to eliminate any lingering dreariness we may be feeling from being socked in on the coast.   The dramatic new earrings are beautiful in both the color and the composition, and feel like exactly what we all need right now....BEAUTY.

Another hint of brightness and certainly of beauty is our Athena slip in Rubellite pink with red lace.  I have always loved pink and red, or pink and orange together.  We have a few bright pieces in the store right now that feel especially right for Spring.  Dresses and skirts are now catching my eye, and I've got my eye on a few next door at Pamela Barish.  I wear my half-slips nearly every day under dresses and skirts.  They're perfect under sheer pieces, and also feel lovely on the skin.  We have them in two lengths, in silk and in cotton, and in several colors.  They can even be worn out, as a skirt on their own, as some of our clients are doing.  We can make custom color combinations for you, so please inquire if you have a special request.  

I've recently gotten into the habit of making chicken soup on Sundays.  It just seems like the perfect thing to do after a trip to the farmer's market, and the result is so delicious.   I also feel that collectively, it's what we most need at the moment.  A big pot of nourishing, healing, soothing soup can cure a multitude of things.  It won't exactly solve everything, but I promise it will improve your outlook.  I mostly improvise what I throw into the pot, but it usually looks like this....

Sunday Chicken Soup

One whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1.5 large onions, cut into quarters

one leek, cleaned and cut in half lengthwise

3-4 large carrots, cut into thirds

3-4 celery stalks, cut into thirds

one fennel bulb, cut in half

one head of garlic, cut in half

one-half bunch dill

one-half bunch parsley 

one handful of black peppercorns

one handful of cherry tomatoes

2 bay leaves

juice of one lemon

one rind from a piece of aged parmesan cheese

2 tsp. pink salt

I literally just throw everything into a large pot, cover with water and then bring to a boil.  After it boils, I skim the top and lower to a simmer for around 3-4 hours.  At this point, I remove the chicken, all of the vegetables and the parmesan rind (these get tossed), and then strain the liquid stock through a fine meshed sieve.  I keep it warm while I make the rest of the soup.  I shred the cooked chicken and put aside while I sauté chopped leeks, garlic, and onions in olive oil.  When they are soft and translucent, I add the warm stock.  Then I add thinly sliced carrots, and cook until these are soft as well.  When it's all ready, I add the shredded chicken.  I like to serve this with handfuls of torn herbs, and a dollop of pesto, which is another thing that I make every Sunday with the fresh basil from the farmer's market.  Depending on the season, and what is available, I will add other vegetables, such as zucchini, sugarsnap peas, or swiss chard to the broth when the carrots seem nearly done.  I improvise, and make it so many different ways that it feels like more of an art-based creative process, rather than a cooking one.   It isn't really ever exactly the same, but it is always delicious, and will soothe the soul.  

Enjoy,

If you know me, you know that I love to celebrate Valentine's Day.  Being a designer of both jewelry and lingerie, I suppose you could have made that assumption on your own.  Alas, both categories are full of wonderful options to gift your sweetheart.  

One of my favorite new pieces is a delightful tribute to romance.  This charming ring is heart-shaped, and composed of heart-shaped cut tourmaline stones, in varying shades of green.  It's a double hit of LOVE, and is certain to make someone extremely happy this Valentine's Day.  

This year we are thrilled to celebrate both LOVE, and our love of the arts.  On Saturday February 11th we are hosting a grantLOVE x Alisa Ratner event benefitting X-TRA Contemporary Art Journal, the longest running art journal in Los Angeles.  This feels especially meaningful this year, and the collaboration between Alexandra and Alisa has produced an incredibly beautiful body of work.  

I hope you can join us between 4-7pm to say hello, and purchase a print!  Each purchase is accompanied by an edition of X-TRA, and LFrank will gift a print with each jewelry purchase.  We have a limited edition of prints, as well as seventeen special edition one-of-a-kind pieces, and have already pre-sold quite a few, so come early!  

Another sure-fire hit this Valentine's Day would be one of our Juno silk charmeuse slips.  I love the version with a French lace hem, and am especially fond of it in rose gold.  It is the softest shade of blush, and is flattering on truly everyone.  

You or your love would also be quite thrilled to receive one of the Liberty print Asteria silk crepe de chine robes.  They are so well-loved, and one of our most popular lingerie pieces.  You really can't go wrong with one of these, and we have lots of prints to choose from in both silk and cotton.

Do swing by, as this year we are also lucky to have a few limited edition Pamela Hanson x Private Room books available.  I couldn't think of a better book to give your Valentine.  That, along with a selection of Milla Chocolates, plus one of our essential oil scented 100% beeswax candles, and you will be in perfect shape for celebrating Saint Valentine. Some may scoff, feeling like it is such a forced holiday, but I don't think it's ever a bad idea to treat the one that you love, or yourself for that matter!

This year, I've decided to make chocolate truffles for Valentine's Day.  I haven't made them in awhile, and there's something about the labor that goes into them, and their sheer decadence that makes them feel special.  I love the recipe for Black-on-Black Truffles from Pierre Hermé.  I promise you will be greatly adored by whomever you chose to make these for.  

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I use Valrhona)

1 cup heavy cream

3.5 tbs. unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into 4 pieces

Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl.  Bring the cream to a full boil in a saucepan, and then pour the hot cream over the chocolate.  Stir gently to make a smooth ganache. Allow to cool a bit before adding the butter, 2 pieces at a time, and stir to blend.  When all the butter is incorporated, pour the ganache into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.  With a bowl of cocoa powder ready, line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.  Form small balls (they do not have to be perfectly round, in fact I think they're more delicious if they are more organically shaped) and dip into the cocoa powder.  You can roll them around in a fine mesh sieve to remove the excess, then place them on the baking sheet.

Enjoy, and Happy Valentine's Day to all...

I always embrace the ushering in of a new year.  It just sometimes takes me a minute to catch up with the calendar.  This year feels as though it's moving in double time, and I am caught still thinking about all of the possibilities that 2017 may hold.  Most of all, I'm looking forward to really honing in on what I love, with whom I want to spend my time, and on what endeavors are most important to me.  I am determined to be open and optimistic with regards to this new year, and for what it may have in store.    

January gets its name from Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and transitions.  I named our first Men's robe collection after Janus, and to be honest, I think the style looks really great on women as well.  I am most excited about the new pieces coming in later this month.  I've become completely smitten with the Italian cotton fine wale corduroy, and the blue plaid flannel, which is the softest imaginable fabric.  They both have contrast piping and cozy deep pockets, which are perfect for warming chilly hands during the rainy, cold weather we're having.

Have you tried the Olwen camisole in 100% silk charmeuse?  It's nothing short of heaven, and I'm finding that it is impossible for me to get dressed without one.  The weight of the silk is like a whisper, and yet it feels like a sort of armor between your skin and the rest of the world.   I have been wearing the sapphire version, which is a chic, inky, dark blue with a hint of green.  We developed this rich color as our alternative to black.  It is the perfect dark neutral to wear all year long.  

One of my favorite family traditions is a beautiful and somewhat lazy Sunday lunch after our weekly visit to the local farmer's market.  There is something wonderful about all being together, without work or school drawing our attention, that feels better than any other day of the week.  Sometimes this calls for something special, so this month I plan to make scrambled eggs with sea urchin.  It's completely decadent, and perfect for Sundays.  We are lucky that some of the best sea urchin comes from the coast just North of us in Santa Barbara.  We try to get to the market early for the best selection.  It is a big hit in my house, and I hope it will be in yours as well.  It's a riff on a recipe for sea urchin pasta from Eric Ripert.  

In a small saucepan, I melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter over a low flame until completely liquid.  Then, I stir in the sea urchin roe from one of the little wooden boxes, a tiny pinch of cayenne and chili flakes, and whisk until emulsified.  There will be pieces of roe, but I like that for texture.   In a different pan, I melt a bit of butter for the eggs, which I lightly scramble with a handful of parmesan cheese.  When the eggs are nearly set, I combine the butter/sea urchin mixture with the eggs, and sprinkle with a handful of chopped chives and freshly ground black pepper.   I serve this with crispy thin potatoes that I sprinkle with a bit of parmesan cheese, and a handful of wild arugula.  

Enjoy,

With so much love + gratitude, we wish you all the happiest of holidays, and the very best for the brand new year ahead!

*Please note that we will be closed December 25th through January 4th, 2017

We are delighted to have so many wonderful options to offer for gifting this holiday season.  In addition to the jewelry, we have luxurious sleepwear for men as well as for women.  The men's pieces are exquisitely made, with contrast piping and elegant details throughout.  The cotton fabrics are the finest Italian men's shirting cottons, available in very handsome stripes and plaids.  We have robes and pajama bottoms, both of which are quite chic on women as well!    

For Women, we have a gorgeous assortment of Asteria robes in Liberty of London prints.  We have the 100% silk crepe de chine, as well as the 100% cotton with French lace trim.  Another great gift, or treat for yourself would be the Hera Briefs in 100% stretch silk charmeuse.  We have an assortment of gorgeous colors, and also have a sneak preview of the 100% stretch Italian cotton jersey version for Spring 2017.  We worked on the fit for ages, and it shows.  These briefs sit perfectly on the hips and do not move, or show through clothes.  Swing by to try on a pair, if you're in the neighborhood.  

Another piece that I would like to suggest is the Laetitia slip.  I have been living in mine.  I wear it under big sweaters with boots and tights in this chilly weather.  I also recommend it to sleep in as well, as it is incredibly comfortable.  Women have been buying it to wear out to parties, under a velvet jacket or a cashmere cardigan.  It is 100% stretch silk charmeuse, and cut for a form fitting, but not tight fit.  It suggests what is underneath, without flaunting it, so it's both flattering and also seductive in a rather subtle way.  It is also perfect to wear under a lace or sheer dress.  We have it in black, sapphire, aubergine, and a very festive red!

With velvet everything in the spotlight right now, our popular Charis bed jacket deserves a bit of attention.  It's been a longtime favorite shape of mine, and the silk velvet is truly special.   It would make a perfect holiday gift.

For both men and women on your list, a great gift idea would be the Hypnos Sleep Mask.  As featured on Vogue.com and in the Town & Country Gift Guide, we have this available in solid 100% silk charmeuse, and also in selection of  Liberty of London prints.  They are exquisitely sewn, completely luxurious, and feel like heaven on the skin.  It makes quite an elegant gift, or you can try one yourself for a more restful night's sleep!

All of the lingerie comes with a lovely sateen pouch, and wrapped in a signature LFrank gift box.   We would love to help with any gifting suggestions, so please give us a call or swing by the shop!   One shopping week left before Christmas and Hanukkah!

Lots of Love,

We officially have ten (!!!) shopping days left before both Hanukkah and Christmas Day are upon us.  With that reality in mind, I would like to offer my best suggestions for holiday gift giving.  

I love a new pair of earrings, and I know that I'm certainly not alone on that front.  We have lovely options available,  including these new beauties.  

      Diamond Flower Cluster Drops

       Floating Loops with Emeralds

We also have a few new rings in the shop that would be perfect for someone on your list, or for you to gift to YOU!  

                   Ruby Line Ring

                Mosaic Disc Ring  

                Spinel Cluster Ring

          Double Flower Wrap Ring 

Necklaces are such a popular gift category.  Without having to worry about sizing, it might just be the best surefire idea.  Here are a few of my favorites.

             Leaf Charm Necklace 

Recycled Glass Bead + Diamond Bead Necklace

Another perfect gift would be this timeless 18K gold bangle.  This piece is strong enough to look great on its own, and also works well as an addition to a collection. 

               Quad Hinged Bangle

One of my favorite ideas this Christmas is to give one of our Elephant pieces.  They are not just completely charming, but also a gift that gives back.  We have partnered with Knot on My Planet to donate to their campaign to support the Elephant Crisis Fund.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each of the Lucky Elephant Ring and Pendant, as well as the Grand Elephant Ring will go to this incredibly worthy cause.  You can learn more about Knot on My Planet HERE.  

We are now open every day until the 25th, so please do swing by or give us a call at the shop.  We have plenty more gift ideas for you, and would love to help.   We also have Milla Chocolates to perk up weary shoppers, and are happy to make you an espresso, or a cup of Earl Grey!

Much Love,

December really has a habit of sneaking up on a person.  I have a dear friend who describes the period of time post-Halloween as a "freight train to New Year's Eve" and I must say that this year has felt like that more than any other. It is time to turn our attention to the holidays, and to come up with a plan for making those whom we love and appreciate feel truly and deeply special.  

We are having a shopping event on Saturday, December 10th from 3-7pm, which will be festive and fun. Next door at Pamela Barish, there will be an incredible singer to lead us in caroling, and the three of us, which includes Mona Moore, will all be donating 10% of proceeds to Every Mother Counts. If you aren't familiar, EMC is devoted to ensuring healthy pregnancy and childbirth for women around the globe. You can learn more HERE.  

We have lots of wonderful gift options this year. You can absolutely find something for everyone on your list. I would like to suggest a pair of studs, a timeless bracelet, or a ring for yourself (we can always drop a hint for you!) or for someone special on your list. I am especially fond of these studs, which feel both modern and Victorian at the same time.  I also love this delicate ring, and the Quad Hinged Bangle for a gift idea.  Of course, this stunning blue sapphire ring would make an exceptional gift, as would this delicate leaf necklace.  In addition, this African batik bead necklace with gold beads on an adjustable leather strap is the perfect option for a chic friend.

In the lingerie category, we have incredible new limited edition Liberty prints, both in 100% silk crepe de chine, as well as in 100% cotton. We have already sold out of some of the prints, so I encourage you to make your selections early.  

In addition to the jewels and the lingerie, we will have delicious selections from Milla Chocolates, sets of hand printed cotton napkins from GP Surround, copies of Pamela Hanson's limited edition book, Private Room, as well as our lovely beeswax candles. We will also have a few of the men's sleepwear pieces for you to preview, and order in time for Christmas.

I'm looking forward to seeing you this month, whether you can swing by on Saturday, December 10th to join our event or plan to come in another time. We'd love to help you make holiday shopping easier.  

Enjoy,

Welcome!  If you're reading this, then you are hopefully enjoying a visit to our newly redesigned website.  It has been quite a bit of labor for our team, and I am immensely grateful for the dedication, attention to detail, and team spirit that went into making this happen.  Please let us know what you think.  The driving principle was to create an immersive LFrank experience for those who can't make it to the boutique in Venice, and to ensure that the online shopping experience is both a delight and a breeze.  Enjoy having a look!

Recently, we co-hosted a party with Lisa Love for Pamela Hanson, who was in town signing her gorgeous new book, Private Room.  We are thrilled to have a few copies left, and have made the book available here online in our Essentials category.  This chic, sexy, charming, and romantic book contains portraits of eight women taken by Pamela at Lafayette House in NYC over the course of a couple of years, and styled by Susan Winget.  The result is a truly special publication, in a limited release by art-book publisher Damiani of 1000 copies.  

Another project (and complete labor of love) that I have been immersed in is the development of our gentlemen's sleepwear collection.  We don't want the men in our lives to feel left out of the personal luxury conversation, so we are delighted to offer robes and pajama pants with the same exquisite attention to detail that the women's collection has.  The fabrics are the finest Italian men's shirting cottons, and feature french seams, contrast piping, mother of pearl buttons, and expert tailoring.  For the holidays we will have the softest cotton flannel, as well as a super fine wale corduroy.  Both are excellent gift options for the men on your holiday list.  

Pairing two of my loves together in a necklace was such a natural thing to do.  Lace and jewels are quite complementary, as seen here with our diamond slice pendant on a length of Solstiss Chantilly lace.  We have additional pendants that can be worn this way as well.  Swing by or give us a call if you would like to see what is in stock, or available to order.

With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, I am now turning my attention to Thursday, and to sharing the day with family and friends.  We take Thanksgiving quite seriously in our house, cooking up a storm, and this year is no exception.  If anything, I feel that the volume is turned up a bit higher.  Our son is home from college, and is so excited for the home cooking that he has been missing this first semester away from home.  Of course we will be making all of his favorites, including Persimmon Pudding.  I shared that recipe a couple of years ago on the site, and I'm sharing it again here because yes, it's really that good.  

 Enjoy the holiday, with extra Love + Gratitude for all...

Well, so much for the Autumn Solstice. With this 90+ degree weather, it literally feels like August in Tuscany this week. If only it was. Last week, September 22nd marked the official end of the summer season, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it. I have never quite appreciated our Main Street location and it’s delicious air conditioning as much as I have this week. The hot weather brings new meaning to the term “Indian Summer” in my book. Alas, September 22nd is also significant as it is our wedding anniversary. This year Peter and I toasted our twentieth anniversary, as well as it being a month since taking our son to college. Quite a lot to celebrate, I must say. As for anniversary gifts, the traditional 20th anniversary gift is china. One can interpret this many ways, and one of them would be with our beautiful ancient Chinese glass bead necklaces. I’ve collected beads for ages, but a dear friend of mine really upped my game by introducing me to some particularly notable and ancient finds.

Until not too long ago, there was a belief that all the glass beads found in China were actually traded, and not manufactured there. This is incorrect, with many incredible examples of ancient Chinese glass beads coming from the Yunnan province and elsewhere in Southwestern China.

This necklace features ancient Chinese glass beads and gourd shaped pendants with 18k yellow gold beads strung on a leather cord. The gourds are an auspicious symbol in Chinese culture, warding off evil spirits and disease, and thought to bring luck.

Sometimes for a twentieth or other significant anniversary, a couple may wish to purchase new wedding bands, or update an engagement ring. It also happens that a husband loses a ring somewhere along the way (surfing is the most common reason!), so an updated ring for him might be the perfect anniversary gift. We have a lovely selection in 18k yellow, white, and rose gold. I gave my husband a rose gold ring for our anniversary five years ago, and I love the patina that the finish has developed over time.

I would also love to highlight one of my favorite new pieces from the lingerie collection for Fall. I’m especially excited for the new Peacock color. The new short Venus slip is beautiful with the diamond slice colored lace trim. The short length is also perfect for this extended summer weather. I usually go for the long, ankle-length Juno slip, but this year I’m going to go short. Speaking of slips, everyone needs one. I know that some of you still prefer sleeping in an old cozy t-shirt, but please do yourself a favor and try one of our silk charmeuse slips. They feel like heaven, and are incredibly flattering. We spent ages working on the fit, and it shows.

The Peacock color is an incredibly rich blue with a bit of green. The new pieces in this color will be in store, as well as available at Barneys New York on Madison Avenue, Beverly Hills, and online soon.

If you’ve been to the store at all over the last nine years, you know of my deep affection for chocolate. If you’ve visited us recently, you’ve hopefully experienced our new collaboration with Milla Chocolates. If you haven’t, then please drop by if you’re in the neighborhood. It is award-winning, locally made, beautifully packaged and completely delicious.

Not only do we a have delicious assortment on hand for sampling, we are also selling our favorite treats from Milla at the store. My favorites are the Hazelnut Praline Bar, and the jars of Candied Valencia Orange Peel. Those jars are going quickly, I should point out! I will be taking a few jars of the Chocolate Dragées with us to family weekend, when we visit our son at school. A little fine chocolate is something we’ve always really appreciated as a family, hunting down the best chocolate wherever we travel, and these jars are perfect for sharing.

Since it does feel like Tuscany in August, I’ve decided to cook like it too. For lunch this week I’m making a raw zucchini salad, with a dressing that is a riff on my pumpkin seed pesto, with tons of lime juice and a bit of extra virgin olive oil. I add an assortment of chopped fresh herbs; chives, parsley, mint and a couple of handfuls of arugula to spiralized zucchini strands, along with a handful of pumpkin seeds and lots of shaved parmesan, and toss. It’s the perfect, crisp, refreshing salad on these days where everything and everyone feels a bit wilted. I hope that you enjoy it!

This weather may not be quite in sync with the season, but we are completely ready for Fall on Main Street, and looking forward to seeing you!

Lots of Love,