Life imitates art is how the saying goes, but in the case for most of Disney’s settings, it’s clearly art imitates life. Almost all of the settings for Disney films and theme parks take inspiration from real life locations. While Disney is a great way to instill joy and creativity in children, taking your children to locations like these in real life will surely have a deeper impact on their creativity and understanding of the world.

The granddaughter of Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, Charlotte Casiraghi is a style icon in line with her grandmother and mother, Caroline. Charlotte has been an avid equestrian for much of her life. I was introduced to her style in Tatler when I was a young girl. I would admire how uniquely she wore Chanel and how Karl Lagerfeld would have her model and attend his fashion shows.

Her studies consisted of philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris and she hosts a philosophy collective where she is actively engaged with the philosophy community. She has two children, one with actor Gad Elmaleh (the “Seinfeld of France”) and another with her husband Dimitri Rassam, who she married in June. Charlotte certainly has a family legacy that is unparalleled, but it appears that she has managed much of her life with grace.

Charlotte in Chanel (with her brother Pierre on the right).

If you are familiar with my taste in couture, you would not be surprised that I have a penchance towards sharing Lebanese designers. The couture designs coming out of Lebanon are truly incredible. I think Sadek Majed Couture is no exception. The most exceptional wedding couture of the moment is certainly Mr. Majed’s designs.

His bridal couture is especially noteworthy, but he also designs evening wear. I think Sadek’s designs can be appreciated for many years to come. They have a modern appeal to them, with an extreme attention to detail (using Swarovski crystals), but there’s also a classical appeal, which he does such a wonderful job at merging together. These are gowns truly fit for a Disney Princess, or a princess in real life.

If you like exercise clothes to be comfortable and stylish, then look no further than Alo Yoga.

Recently, I came across Alo Yoga and was impressed with the design styles and expansive range of options for yoga wear. Alo markets itself as being from “studio to street wear” and I think it’s well done overall. It’s also a lifestyle brand, with yoga studios in Soho, the Grove LA, Beverly Hills, and Palisades. Its flagship store is in Beverly Hills. Celebrities seen wearing Alo have included Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, so this yoga gear is certainly street wear approved. I recommend subscribing to their YouTube channel as they have numerous yoga videos that can suit anyone’s tastes for their yoga practice. Yoga never looked so sleek and stylish until now.

During a summer when I was twelve years old, I had the opportunity to explore the gorgeous city of Trieste, Italy while on a trip with my mother that was primarily spent in her hometown in Austria. We did spend a day in Trieste that I will never forget. I distinctly remember finding the city as incredibly relaxing, stunningly beautiful, and all-around a “heaven on earth” type of feeling. If paradise exists, I think it was found for me in Trieste. Sadly, nowadays, the city is suffering from its share of economic down times and deserves its place on the tourist’s map: Trieste is truly spectacular.

The New York Times featured a piece about Trieste that is wonderfully informative for travelers. From the sea that urges you to jump in and enjoy the water, to the downtown historic city center, Trieste is a place worth stopping for days if not weeks while you are on holiday in Italy. It’s not often spoken about when people visit Italy, but Trieste deserves its time as it should always be considered a heaven on earth.

Rose Gold is a trend that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. I think it’s a lovely shade of pinkish gold and it can be coordinated well across your accessories. From this tech forward Samsung Smart Watch that’s Bluetooth enabled, to the Princess Belle ring from Zales, I think rose gold accessories will be going into every season in the most lovely ways. Rose Gold party accessories are also gorgeous; who doesn’t want some rose gold balloons?

The British designers Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo (Ralph & Russo) have taken the fashion world by storm since their design debut in 2010. Quickly, their designs have been worn all over the red carpet, with names including Angelina Jolie and Kendall Jenner.

Their classical feminine designs have an eye for details in a way that’s spectacular. This is best exhibited in their unique heel design: the designer duo have re-envisioned the heel to be like a branch from a tree, adding an appeal to nature in its most glamorous form.

Ralph & Russo’s wedding designs are also spectacular; I don’t think Ralph & Russo will disappear anytime soon: they are here to stay on the red carpets and have already left an indelible mark on the fashion industry.

Lynda Carter is most well known for her role playing Wonder Woman between 1975 and 1979 on CBS. She is perhaps the most iconic image of Wonder Woman to date. Ms. Carter’s life has been remarkable; she spent time studying at Arizona State University before becoming Miss World USA 1972 and leaving the university to begin a music career where she mostly performed in San Francisco and Reno.

It is perhaps her role as Wonder Woman and her personal beliefs that come together so well for being an iconic Wonder Woman. Ms. Carter has been a longtime supporter of Planned Parenthood and the LGBTQ community. Wonder Woman, as a comic book character, was influenced by the ideas of Margaret Sanger, who is best known for being the pioneer of birth control. Sanger popularized the term “birth control” and opened the first birth control clinic in the US. This is was on October 16, 1916 in Brooklyn, New York; more than 100 years ago.

Wonder Woman was first released as a comic book character in 1942. I think the feminist iconicism of Wonder Woman is still relevant, perhaps more relevant than ever in an era where we consider how archaic rules against women’s bodies take center stage in national debates. We need strong voices who represent Wonder Woman, like so many women in our lives.

“No one could take advantage of her.” – Lynda Carter

How often are we presented with the idea that we are “less than” in today’s world? I would argue on a daily basis, if not hourly, when engaging on social media. It’s become almost a tired topic, where people are well aware that the images presented to them by social media’s Influencers are altered substantially, and moreover, it’s the spirit of life being portrayed as entirely utopic and solely committed to amassing huge followings that can cause us to lose touch with the fact that life is much more complicated than social media, but life is also a beautiful thing. It’s crucial to remember that nobody’s life appears as it seems, especially when it’s presented through social media.

“A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it, it just blooms.”

Too often, we are presented with imagery which causes us to consider if we are doing enough to achieve our goals, if we are reaching the heights that we seek, and so on and so forth. However, how often do we take a moment to spend each day in moments of gratitude to simply remind ourselves that life is beautiful, that you are enough, and that the experiences that you had that day can make you grateful for countless reasons. We are all flowers meant to bloom in our own unique ways.

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” – Anaïs Nin

Everyday we wake up and are accosted with news that is unsavory. It’s news that is emotionally striking in deep ways and it’s taxing. While journalism is important in these times, it’s also important to take a moment to recognize that there are good things happening in the world as well.

I was struck when I saw this artwork on Instagram recently: a watercolor painting of a pink flower in a hand, a peace offering of sorts, as the cover of an edition of The New York Times. Do we remind ourselves enough of how beautiful life is? I am starting to believe that we don’t and this needs to change. Yes, there are enormous issues that need to be solved, and yes there are issues that have extreme urgency. However, when does the news offer a moment of gratitude? A moment to be grateful that there are good things happening.

There are communities that are coming together to help one another.

There are individuals who are kind to one another.

There are peacemakers.

There are givers.

There are people who still have hope even in times that seem hopeless.

Don’t stop watching the news entirely to avoid the world’s events, build moments of gratitude into your days, reflections which are energizing and centered around the idea that life is beautiful.