StyleSpy with Katrina Szish

I am baffled by the speed at which the holiday season is approaching.  So baffled, in fact, that my brain is a week behind schedule.  Case in point:  I had been looking forward to attending The 10th Annual Moth Ball -- a gala event benefiting The Moth, a creative non-profit organization that celebrates and perpetuates the art of storytelling (learn more here) -- for weeks.

Plus, my design/decor idol Jonathan Adler was going to be there, and I would be meeting him for the first time.  Besides being a collector of all things Adler and a frequent visitor to The Parker Palm Springs, I even borrowed some hues from his signature palette as inspiration for the design of this blog.  So this was an exciting moment for me.

I knew the event was slated for November 12th, of course, but I had convinced myself that that was next week.  Imagine my surprise when I turned on my computer Monday morning and realized that it was, in fact, November 12th, the day of the fete. 

Immediate reaction:  WARDROBE PANIC.  I had planned to plan ahead!  I was going to wear, well I hadn't decided yet, but I had time!  A whole week!  And I was going to be meeting Jonathan Adler!!! 

Suddenly, that week became a few hours.  Yet apparently the style stars were smiling upon me, because the PR team at Reem Acra worked a miracle:  they loaned me a dress that was even more perfect than if I had actually, well you know, planned it.

Ta-da!

I made it.  Here I am, all smiles with Jonathan Adler and his hubby, Barney's Creative Director, author and arbiter of chic, Simon Doonan.  I was so starstruck that I completely forget what we talked about.

Just kidding.  I was starstruck, but I do remember our chat.  We laughed about Jonathan's penchant for kitschy-cool treasures like gnomes; I told Jonathan and Simon that I recently installed swings in my living room (find out why in (my bible) his book, My Prescription for the Art of Anti-Depressive Living); and Jonathan waxed poetic about the perils of the color beige and his preference for the outre.

Garrison Keillor, author and radio personality, was presented with The Moth Award: "Honoring the Art of the Raconteur."   You can't see the statuette, or my dress for that matter, but both were outstanding.

Apparently my table-mates from Gawker were (almost) as impressed with my Reem Acra frock as I was: they posted this snap of me and Mr. Husband on Gawker.com (Thanks, Josh!)...

Even cooler, award-winning Gawker photographer Nikola Tamindzic (tall, dark, handsome and Serbian) showed me his technique for creating swirly effects just like he does (above).

Turns out I can create those effects using my bare-bones digital camera (Nikola has a high-tech camera with a funky extra flash).

Check out the picture Nikola took of me and Mr. Husband with my camera...

Now, check out the picture I took of Nikola and Mr. Husband while showing off my new skillz (yes, skillz with a "z").

Guess what?

Style Spy is about to get a whole lot swankier.

***See more of Nikola's work at Ambrel.net***