Month: April 2011

royal wedding day – across the world

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Happy Royal Wedding Day to all my British friends and loyal U.K. blog followers!!!  Enjoy the day off. We can only hope to have such a day here in the states. In light of the event and knowing not so many people will turn to their favorite blogs today, I have decided to pay homage to my favorite exhibition of royalty at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. Pulp Fashion by Isabelle de Borchgrave, running through 5th of June 2011. “Pulp Fashion draws on several themes and presents quintessential examples in the history of costume—from Renaissance finery of the Medici family and gowns worn by Elizabeth I and Marie-Antoinette to the creations of the grand couturiers Frederick Worth, Paul Poiret, Christian Dior, and Coco Chanel. Special attention is given to the creations and studio of Mariano Fortuny, the eccentric early-20th-century artist who is both a major source of inspiration to de Borchgrave and a kindred spirit.” (Legion of Honor site) It is a must see in my opinion and a good idea for those taking …

decor ideas: vintage cupboards

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You know the funny thing about vintage cupboards is that, you either like them or hate them.  I happen to be one who loves seeing them when I go to Napa or Sonoma, California because, cupboards are used in most boutique stores, wine shops, deli’s and some bakeries to house their goods. I really can’t imagine a store without them in the wine country, but having one in an apartment just doesn’t seem ideal in my opinion. So, although I shop for cupboards at antique stores and online, I always talk myself out of bringing one home. I tell you though, if I were fortunate enough to have my own coffee shop, I would most certainly incorporate them into the decor of the shop. What’s your take on cupboards?

when the going gets tough – escape to greece

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Right about this time of year, I get the vacation planning itch. Although I pretty much know where I want to go every year, at the beginning of the year, sometimes what life decades throughout the year, almost forces me to imagination of a place I can actually escape to, where I could just sit by the ocean or sea and think through my problems. Well, today was one of those days, as I wrote the train to work this morning, I put on my i-pod and closed my eyes and quickly escaped to Greece. So I decided to post this entry and share some of my favorite photos of Greece.

pacific heights – san francisco – an architectural marvel

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San Francisco is probably one of the most beautiful travel destinations I can recommend. But of course you all already know that, right? What I truly appreciate the most about my city is the fact, that even though it is comparatively small to most other metropolitan cities, the hills more than make up for the size and of course the fact, within walking distance or (a Muni ride) away, you can experience different cultures within each district (or neighborhood), making it actually and suggestively  a huge city. My choice of exploring any city is of course walking and one of my favorite neighborhoods to explore, not only because of the challenging hills, which give me a great work out, but also the architectural marvel for my visual therapy away from the 9×11 computer screen. Now, I have included some street signage for you, amazing tourists from around the world and neighboring states and Southern Cal  as a guide, so that when you are visiting the city, you can chart your walking tour based on the …

mother’s day gift suggestions – For the ralph lauren woman over 40

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Mother’s Day celebration is a a touchy subject for me because, I don’t believe in celebrating such an important person in everyone’s life for just one day, that is something you do for birthdays. Mothers need to be appreciated and celebrated throughout the year in so many different ways. But, since we are programmed to take note of our Mothers with a gift and  a brunch, otherwise we wouldn’t fit in, than I say make the gift spactacular and the brunch outside the home to make it all worth while. So, for the next three weeks, I will offer you my suggestions piece by piece, so you can have an array of choices and options to consider while shopping for the Mother/Wife person in your life. First hand, If she is a Ralph Lauren type of woman, then I have detailed below my choice of gifts for her from the designer with varying price range.  If you prefer to shop online, then click here and follow the arrows to your shopping cart.

for the writer at heart – a desk and a chair

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I once read that small studio apartments are the most inspirational places for the writer at heart, and after thinking about it long and hard, I realized how true that was, even throughout history. Most well known writers, lived in studios, sometimes in Paris, while they wrote their books. So, as I transition from my past life to the new one, I too have chosen to stay in a studio apartment for a bit in order to, let’s just say, realign my life and get focused on what I want to accomplish from it.  Besides, big houses and too many rooms are not a place for the artistic minded individuals (in my opinion) In line with  the topic I have decided to write about in this entry, I decided to search for  photos of a desk and chair ensemble, to see what actually came to mind when I looked at them. What do you think? Enjoy the photos and have a wonderful weekend.

i miss all things classic

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You know in this day and age of modern technology, it is always good to take a moment and reflect on all things classic. I say this, because as I ride the train to work  five days a week, I can’t  help but overhear other commuters talk about their I this and I that, while others actually fidget with their I gadgets to stay entertained. The funny thing is, I always ask, what did people do before all this handheld technology? How did we survive a train ride, a dinner out with friends, a walk in the park, a day at the beach? I mean the list is endless, seriously, I wish we can declare a day, where no one can touch their electronic devices for an entire day. Wouldn’t that be funny. Well in light of this fact, I have included some of the things I miss the most, although some of the items are well  before my time, I still miss them. By the way, the I-phone has replaced all of the items …

inspirational woman over 40 – Ines de la Fressange

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A woman who I have admired for a long time now, is of course a French fashion icon, Ines de la Fressange. I am not going to detail her bio on this blog entry, but will happily give you a link here  so that you can use it to get some background about her. The interesting thing is that, she became well known around the fashion world as a result of her connection to Chanel throughout most of her 20s. Anyway, she had written a book a while back titled, Parisian Chic, which I have picked up and read from cover to cover, just so I can truly understand Parisian women, their style, even more so than I already do, in order to satisfy my obsession with the French lifestyle, culture, and fashion. Of course the book validates the fact my core makeup and way of thinking and living  is French and I am very happy about that. The transition to living in France someday soon will be very easy for me. So, check out the …

kitchen talk – small space decor

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I can honestly say that the best kitchen I ever had in my lifetime was a galley style with the simplest decor in a San Francisco high-rise apartment. Everything was within reach, easy to clean and a wonderful window, so strategically placed that I seldom had to worry about airing out the kitchen. Mind you I didn’t even have a fan or a vent and the appliances were the simplest and probably the most durable. So, in light of missing my galley kitchen, I decided to share some photos of my favorite galley kitchen decor.