Year: 2011

boutique hotel pick – chateau de mirambeau – bordeaux

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There are two quotes from Ernest Hemingway which I truly appreciate and probably live by, as I am an avid wine drinker and an “amateur” connesieur (if there is such a thing). Anyway the quotes are as follows: “Wine improves with age, the older I get the better I like it” “Wine is the most civilized thing in the world” With that said, I figured I better  include one of my favorite properties located in one of the greatest wine regions of the world, Bordeaux, France. Now although my hotel pick – Chateau De Mirambeau isn’t really a boutique hotel and more like a luxury hotel, I am still catagorizing as such because of the ambiance and the romantic feel of  the property. Chateau de Mirambeau, is located in the Mirambeau village between Bordeaux and Cognac and with it’s  14 rooms and 9 suites, you can only imagine how challenging it is to book a room, if not planned well in advance. Anyway, I will let their website do the talking, in the meantime enjoy …

wedding shoes for the woman over 40

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In yesterdays blog entry I suggested some beautiful gowns here for that special day for the woman over 40. Along with choosing the right gowns, it is also very important to select the right type of shoes and although I am not loyal to any particular  shoe designers and their products, I have included an online catalog here from Badgley Mischka Spring 2011 footwear collection for you to consider, when shopping for your special wedding day, or “renewing wedding vows” or simply to match with a dress you plan to wear to a wedding in 2011. Tell me what you think?

wedding gowns for the woman over 40

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Selecting the right gown for a second marriage or “renewal of vows” is probably the most challenging for women over 40. But, if tastefully chosen, it can be the most rewarding experience ever. With that said, now is the perfect time to consider the options for a spring, summer and even fall weddings or “renewal of vows” ceremony. In my research I have come across some amazing gowns to consider and yes they are all from Oscar de la Renta. Enjoy!  

elle decor you inspire me

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I can honestly  tell you that I cannot pass up the magazine section at any bookstore, especially when I come across Elle Decor. In my opinion, it is the most resourceful, user-friendly, esthetically pleasing  and well-organized interior decorating magazine and I love the fact, it is published globally with  U.K., Australia and French versions to booth. Anyway, I tend to keep most of my Elle Decor magazines because I feel, like fashion, interior decorating is recyclable and what is considered old news will most likely be new trend in the coming years. Besides my eclectic taste in decor is another reason to keep the magazines. Here are some of  my favorite Elle Decor photos from years past which I think can most certainly be included in today’s design styles. Tell me what you think?

golden globe gowns for the over 40 crowd

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You know I actually was going to leave this topic for my other blog here, but since the fashion introduced on the red carpet is pretty influential and vital to the fashion industry and trend followers, I decided to include some of my favorites and not so favorites from this year’s Golden Globe for the over 40 crowd. My list of picks for best dressed: 1. Jennifer  Lopez  – Zuhair Murad gown – best dressed winner in my opinion 2. Nicole Kidman – Prada gown – safe and flawless 3. Kyra Sedwick – Emilio Pucci gown – gorgeous in my opinion – vibrant colors and riskee but truly gorgeous. 4. Melissa Leo – gown unknown – safe, beautiful in a sequence  gown. 5. Julie Brown – Tadashi Shoji – elegant and glamorous and very age appropriate My list of picks for the worst dressed: 1. Helen Bonham Carter – Doesn’t matter what gown – disaster 2. Tilda Swinton – Doesn’t matter what gown – with her model like features, she could have dressed better. 3. …

boutique hotel pick – grand hotel tremezzo – lake como, italy

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Every year, I pick a destination (mostly in Europe) and run with it. This year it is Italy, so you will be hearing alot about Italy in the upcoming months from travel to fashion to food and wine and photos of where I have been and where I have yet to discover.  In addition, I will share with you, hotels throughout Italy which I love, or have stayed at and some I wish to stay in the very near future. So, here we go 😉 Second hotel pick for 2011, is the Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como (area) Italy. I first heard about this property through a professor at San Francisco State University, long, long time ago and of course I jotted it down in my journal for future use. Later on when I developed a crush on George Clooney and discovered he purchased a villa in Lake Como, I decided it was time for me to go there and check out the destination and while I was at it, to check out the …

healthy eating – arugula salad recipe

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I actually got tired of eating the same leaves day in and day out, so one day while shopping at my favorite grocery store,  I decided to bring home a box of freshy cut and washed arugula to test out. Although I have had them many times in restaurants, I never considered consuming them at home. Don’t ask. Anyway, I brought them home and decided to experiment and to my surprise I was able to create a great tasting salad from a recipe I found here and now arugula has become my choice of leaves. Ingredients: 6 cups arugula leaves 1 mango, peeled and cut into long slices 1 avocado, peeled and sliced ½ red onion, sliced 1 tbs lime juice Spicy orange vinaigrette 1 tbs champagne vinegar 4 tbs orange juice, about ½ orange 2 tbs lime juice, about ½ lime 4 tbs olive oil ½ tsp cumin 2 tbs finely chopped cilantro 1 red chili or hot pepper, sliced Salt and pepper Preparation: Combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing in a …

valentino shoes for spring 2011

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Designer shoes are not only inspirational but in essence have a way of making  a woman feel sexy no matter how emotionally unstable she may be on the inside. (Ladies, I say that with love). In light of this subject, I can honestly say I am not partial to any particular designer, I am however particular to the actual design and functionality of a shoe.  So, here we go, first stop Valentino Shoes and since I seem to have trouble with choosing just a few pairs of  the Valentino shoe collection  for Spring 2011, I have decided to include some of my absolute favorites and offer you a link to the website here, just in case you want to go crazy.

golden globe 2011 – my predictions

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Every year I take great pride in partaking in the Golden Globe Awards by attending some of the functions as well as predicting the winners. This year is no exception of course, so I have made a list of my predictions from the films and actors nominated for the Golden Globe Award 2011. For a detailed film reviews click here or  bookmark  my entertainment blog – http://www.b-lot-buzz.blogspot.com GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEES 2011 & MY PREDICTIONS Best Motion Picture, Drama **Black Swan – Golden Globe choice The Fighter Inception The King’s Speech **The Social Network – My choice Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical Alice in Wonderland Burlesque **The Kids Are All Right – My choice & GG choice Red The Tourist Best Director – Motion Picture **Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan –  Golden Globe choice David Fincher – The Social Network Tom Hooper – The King’s Speech **Christopher Nolan – Inception  – My Choice David O. Russell – The Fighter Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama **Jesse Eisenberg –  The Social Network – My 2nd choice …

the nook vs the home library

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I understand the new trend is to downsize and declutter. The two things I am a big fan of and have, over the past two years, applied to my new and improved lifestyle. But the one thing I seem to have trouble with is getting rid of books and/or downsizing my  home library collection. Everyone around me keeps suggesting I invest in an electronic reading gadget, such as the Kindle, the Nook or the I-Pad to replace my collection of hardcover and paperback books.  I don’t know why but I absolutely refuse to give in and instead continue to dream of creating my own  in home library for my next place of residence. Call me crazy, but there is nothing more rewarding then a floor to ceiling custom built bookshelves which house a collection of wonderful and sometimes unique books that are incorporated in either a family room, a long hallway or an actual home library (room). I have included some of my favorite in home library designs to consider and perhaps share with you …