February 10th, 2011

Places I Wish I Was Right Now

I’ve got ants in my pants. I need a recharging getaway. I’m a practical gal at the core, so I selected 3 West Coast gems within my time zone, that would easily fit the bill for respite and relaxation.

#1 Farmhouse in the Russian River Valley in CA. Wine tasting, picnicing and spa’ing by day…

Chillaxin; (I can’t believe I typed that.) by night? Check.

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Image: Country Living

Check out the Luxe Barn Rooms. Gorgeous.

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Have not yet been, but would very much like to. You’re reading this, right Babe?

#2 Or soaking up some copious amounts of sunshine in Phoenix, AZ and staying at The Royal Palms

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This property is historic and so intimate. I also love dining in their restaurant, TJ Cooks the mediterranean menu is delicious and even the outside patio floor is heated.

#3 And finally last but certainly not least, Seattle’s “Rainbirds” hibernation pattern leads to Palm Springs.

The place? The Parker. Think blinding sunshine, tragically hip decor and atmosphere, very private and decadent.

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In the words of Liz Lemon, “I want to go to there.”

Categories: Fun
February 8th, 2011

A Love For Stripes

Albert Einstein says the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Yes, my love for stripes borders on insanity.

From casual ticking to bold modern with a sheen, fat, skinny, vertical or horizontal. I simply do not tire of stripes.

Hgtv+striped+wallsImage: HGTV

Striped wall and striped settee, too much? Nope, I don’t think so.

Or what about this french ticking fabric with a patina that pulls an interesting element into the design of the room?

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Image: Things Caught In Michaels’s Eye

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Image: Apartment Therapy

Awesome striped bathroom with trompe l’oeil effect on the ceiling and striped shower curtain…?

Yes, please.

Or check out Kate & Andy Spade’s hallway. It’s artsy, bold and still classic and of course full of personality.



Image: Selby Images

To make the obsession more insane. For at least a year now, they are all that I feel like wearing too. A post on that next week.

Categories: Furnishings
February 7th, 2011

Cherishing Cherubs

The phase of life when weekends revolve around birthday parties, classes, sports and other fun geared primarily to the little munchkins of the house, has come…

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But why fight it when it looks this cute? Here’s my youngest at a darling little birthday party at Moon Paper Tent, a local facility that hosts creative play around various magical themes like fairies and princesses yesterday. Yes, gone are the days of bringing out a sheet cake and and playing pin the tail on the donkey in the backyard.

Choosing the right gift to honor a child is always an important part of the celebration. This is why I love Hopscotch Tees for their cool and hip custom designs–several of which come with capes. Naturally, right? Check out their darling designs.

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Plus, I just love anytime my fingers can do the walking and I can avoid the big box (Me beloved Target excluded! The outfit my daughter is wearing up top is Splendid Littles and is crazy comfy and soft, must get!) stores. In fact, you don’t even need a special occasion to sport one of these, as ask any kid, every day is celebration.

Speaking of other SUPER precious personalized gifts, I love these engraved blocks by Crafte Family. I especially love them for the second and third…and on-down-the-line, borns when it’s a little harder to know what a family still needs/wants. This is my go-to FAVORITE baby gift to order that says “you’re special too.” It’s so easy to order, all online of course, and captures all the important info. for baby, birth date, birth place, weight, height, God parents etc.

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Excuse me, I have some online ordering to do:)

Categories: Family, Friends, Fun
February 4th, 2011

The Chef In The Hat

What was the nation’s culinary scene like before Bravo’s Hit, Top Chefs? It’s hard to say, I honestly don’t remember.

But certainly guys like Thiery Rautureau, a.k.a. The Chef In The Hat, have shaped the way we eat and think about dining in restaurants. Oui oui, he was a part of Top Chef Masters…and he is quite the personality. I love the way he walks around the restaurant and works the crowd. He is actually very genuine and quite charming.

Oh French men!

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Of course, I’m pinching myself that I reside approximately 1 mile away from two total culinary gems of restaurants, Rover’s and Luc.

I’ve dined at Rover’s once (before being a “Blogger” and therefore not fresh enough to recount–but I do remember it very favorably), and to Luc a half dozen times, most recently a few days ago,

Even though we dined last on a Monday night, the specials were bountiful. The server pretty much had me at “poached egg and duck confit…”

This is how the night played out:

One should start the evening off with a Lucatini.
grey goose vodka, gin, lillet, st. germain (and you know how I feel about this from recent previous post)

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Souffle potato crisps are a must…the red pepper aioli, is just plain yum. Puffed up and uber crispy.

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Special salad: duck confit with poached egg and pickled onion, you know, as referenced above. There is something about a perfectly poached egg that runneth all over the dish, that j’adore.

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Then salt crusted roasted chicken, The Monday night special. Served family style with a huge heap of kale in the middle to keep everyone honest.

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We finished it all off with chocolate caramel cake.

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The rest of the week: cereal for dinner. It’s all about the trade-offs in life.

Categories: Food, Friends, Fun
February 3rd, 2011

Super Chic Flats

I have such the crush on my new pair of flats. And I can’t decide if it’s a bad thing or a good thing when a friend is out shopping and texts a photo of something she thinks I would like. Of course I usually run right out to check it out (and typically buy).

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These shoes by Yosi Samra are so cute and so comfy. I was honestly surprised that they are so comfortable, as they are so compact and therefore perfect for travel. But they really do provide a bit of support as well.

These can be purchased online or at my favorite local boutique Canopy Blue for a very reasonable price point of $55 I may add if you simply can’t wait.

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You know what they say, “If the shoe fits…”

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