It goes without saying, Tiffany & Co. does romance right. Tiffany's created a website, What Makes Love True, for all matters of the heart.  Here one may find Valentine's Day tips, director Ed Burns' list of favorite romantic movies, love songs that you can download, and videos of young and old discussing the meaning of love. Yes, I know, cuteness overload.

The site also features a photo gallery, True Love in Pictures, including photos from photo bloggers (and real-life boyfriend/girlfriend) Scott Schuman (of The Sartorialist) and Garance Doré.  You, too, can upload photos of you and your special someone to the site, using Tiffany's Instagram filter, which washes your photo out in the trademark Tiffany Blue, peach or black and white.  The What Makes Love True by Tiffany & Co. app can also be downloaded to your iPhone.  If you happen to be in New York, London or Tokyo, Tiffany's has photobooths, where you can upload the photos to the site.  Love is all around! Click here for What Makes Love True website.

Photo blogger, Garance Doré's True Love photos. Photo: What Makes Love True

The Sartorialist's True Love photos. Photo: What Makes Love True

True Love photos. Photo: What Makes Love True

More True Love photos. Photo: What Makes Love True

Check out the super-cute video of The Sartorialist's Scott Schuman and Garance Doré making of True Love in Pictures.

I am absolutely in love with VILA's True Sailor collection- so timeless, so chic!  The collection features the classic sailor shirt, the Breton shirt, re-imagined and modernized in bright colors- poppy red, paprika pinky-red, navy blue, and turquoise. Even the stripes are modernized- the Nilda dress has stripes both thin and wide and the Sea long-sleeve top has two thin-lined stripes.

Coco Chanel is reportedly the first designer to introduce the Breton shirt to the masses, borrowing inspiration again from the working-classes- in this case, French sailors while she vacationed in Deauville.  I drew inspiration from vintage photographs of fashion icons- wearing nautical stripes, sunning themselves on sailboats and yachts.  One can look so effortlessly chic in nautical-inspired fashion- complete with wind-swept hair and sun-kissed skin;) Click here to shop VILA's True Sailor collection.

Icons in Breton shirt, L-R: Coco Chanel, photo: Kikis List; Audrey Hepburn, French Girl in Seattle; James Dean, Tomorrow Started

Brigitte Bardot by the sea. Top photo: Aliz of Bohemia; bottom photo: Fashion Magpie Files.

More icons by the sea: John and Jackie Kennedy, photo: Photobucket; Grace Kelly: Habitually Chic.

Nautical-inspired finds- (left photo) I like the idea of making the Breton shirt pop with the sweet bow, flashes of pink and unexpected metallic boat shoes. Nate top (photo: VILA), Galli pants (photo: VILA), REO sunglasses (photo: VILA), and metallic boatshoes (photo: Sperry Topsiders).

(Right photo) Though the accessories may be over-the-top, the simple, Grecian-style Carolin dress from VILA ties the look together. Carolin dress (photo: VILA), Eugenia Kim sunhat (photo: net-a-porter), YSL starfish printed sandals (photo: net-a-porter).

Channeling Jackie Kennedy- Pini sleeveless top from VILA (photo: VILA); J.Crew pebble-print shorts (photo: net-a-porter); the Gucci graphic scarf is perfect for tying back your wind-swept hair (photo: net-a-porter); practical shoes are a must- Jack Purcell for Converse (photo: net-a-porter); and a sweet purse from VILA the color of the sea completes the look (photo: VILA).

The kitty influence for Spring 2012 pleases the eight-year-old girl inside me.  First and foremost, the adorable, feline-inspired beauty collection of French brand, Paul and Joe. The collection features shimmery cat-portrait eye shadow, paw-printed lipstick, and a blush stick of a cat wearing a top hat.

Photo: Paul Joe Beauté.com

Photo: Paul Joe Beauté.com

Photo: Harpers Bazaar.co.uk

Victoria by Victoria Beckham is Ms. Beckham's second girlier/quirkier collection, a departure from her sexier, hourglass-fit namesake collection.  The kitty trend appeared in a few of the Spring 2012 dresses- swingy, A-line shifts in bright colors.

Gotta love the star-printed cats! Photo: Style.com

Photo: Style.com

As a blogger, looking back at department store holiday windows gave me a different perspective of the holiday season.  If I wrote about the holiday windows in December, I would have tried to put myself in the positition of a small child, enraptured with the magic of Christmas. Now in the beginning of 2012, the remnants of the holiday season is gradually shedding away- the forlorn Christmas trees laying in the street, the glittery lights are taken down, some store windows showing off spring merchandise.  A look back at the holiday windows of 2011, I was able to appreciate the great work and creativity that stores put into their window displays- these were works of art that would be appropriate in a museum- just to create a bit of fantasy and magic in December.

Bergdorf Goodman, New York, created Carnival of the Animals display.  David Hoey, Senior Director of Visual Display and his team devote a year to the production of the holiday windows. The inspiration for Bergdorf's windows was from diverse settings reimagined in various materials and the animals that live there. Click on here to view a video of Bergdorf Goodman's visual team creating the 2010 holiday windows.

Barney's, New York's edgy department store, collaborated with Lady Gaga over the holiday season and created "Gaga's Workshop", a shop in Barney's curated with Gaga-inspired items. Lady Gaga's fashion director, Nicola Formichetti, worked together with Barney's Creative Director, Dennis Freedman, to make holiday windows commemorating Gaga's Workshop.

Karl Lagerfeld curated Printemps holiday windows. Chanel's 11 window display for Printemps takes a tour around the world- in Los Angeles, flight attendants in Christmas-red uniforms and blue go-go boots; in Moscow, a twirling Chanel ballet troupe; and in Paris, Karl-as-photographer marionettes.

Below are holiday windows of department stores around the world. Photos: Vanity Fair.com

Bergdorf Goodman, NY: Snowy birds as models- they seem as graceful and elegant as the dresses they are wearing.

Bergdorf Goodman, NY: Left: A white tiger, a walrus and a ram look debonair for their photo with their lady friend. Right: This display is called "Teacher's Pet" and features 300 different kinds of paper and a paper zebra!

Bergdorf Goodman, NY:The "Brass Menagerie" display is the most magical- it seems to glow at night.

Harrods in London collaborated with Swarovski to create "A Crystal Christmas".  It's like a fairy tale!

Harrods in London collaborated with Swarovski to create "A Crystal Christmas".  It's like a fairy tale!

Barneys, NY: Left: "Gaga's Crystal Cave" features a mermaid, suspended between twinkling LED crystals that change colors from clear to blue. Right: "Gaga Machine"

Barneys, NY: "Gaga's Boudoir" is constructed from real and synthetic blond wig hair, in the center lies a Lady Gaga mannequin on a blond hair chaise lounge.

Printemps, Paris: A Karl puppet photographing camellias, Coco Chanel's favorite flower.

Printemps, Paris: Chanel ballet in Moscow.

Printemps, Paris: Air Chanel in Los Angeles.

I spent the Christmas holidays with my husband's family.  His eight-year-old niece and I spent our time coloring, making paper snowflakes and playing games.  I came across a microsite that Chanel created in conjunction with an exhibition they are doing in Beijing, called Culture Chanel.  The feature, Kid's Space, is a coloring book of Chanel's iconic pieces- the Camellia, the quilted bag, the ballet flat, the tweed jacket.  Kid's Space features a memory game, too!  The microsite is filled with Chanel factoids- like, the Camellia is Mlle Chanel's favorite flower, hence its ubiquitous presence in Chanel collections.  Kid's Space is intended for children, but creating colorful versions of Chanel classics made me feel like I was eight again.

Below are some of my creations from the Culture Chanel site- give it a try, but to be warned, it is addictive! Click on the link to Culture Chanel microsite.

My rendering from Culture Chanel to the left. The iconic Quilted Bag to the right.  Chanel fact: Coco Chanel created the quilted bag as a chic and hands-free alternative to clutches that were de rigueur at that time.  Photo: Chanel

My brightly trimmed Chanel tweed jacket via Culture Chanel.  Model Freja Beha in Chanel Fall 2011 runway show in a trompe l'oeil tweed double jacket. Photo: Chanel.

Chanel's favorite flower, the Camellia.  My pink rendering from Culture Chanel to the left.  There are many stories as to why this was Mlle Chanel's favorite flower- some say because it is scentless and beautiful, and did not compete with her perfume.  Some say the round shape represented endless possibilities.  Regardless, the flower is still seen in Chanel collections.  The Camellia ring, to the right, is in yellow gold and white agate. Photo: Chanel.

Chanel Memory game. Photo: Culture Chanel.