Year: 2012

boutique hotel pick – le meurice – paris, france

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There is a certain charm  to Paris which most  woman understand and appreciate and  although we learn of this at a young age, some take almost a lifetime to figure out.  Those who understand, once Paris is mentioned in conversation,  immediately come alive while exchanging  thoughts of the allure of the city. For those woman who have not yet had the opportunity to truly understand Paris as it should be, convince your travel partner to stay at Le Meurice hotel, even if for a night and I can guarantee, the ambiance will surely set the stage for an experience you will never forget. {Recommended classic reads to understanding Paris – click on photo}

how to avoid over exposure from the sun while vacationing in the french riviera

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We humans are conditioned to be careful as to how much time we spend in the sun on a daily basis. Now although the sun is good for us, in small doses, it is also damaging in more ways than one.  I happen to worship the sun and while vacationing in the French Riviera,  I must say, I have a difficult time staying indoors. So to avoid over exposure, while still enjoying the sunshine, I normally spend the middle of the day (when the UV Rays  are the most damaging) walking through the backroads of the towns aligning the coast. Typically the backroads are (mostly) in the shade because of the narrow alleyway-like streets and the closeness of the buildings facing each other on either side of those “street”. This combination, not only makes for the best hideaway from the sun,  but also gives me a chance to cool down naturally while enjoying the scenery. 🙂  Oh silly me. Here are some of my favorite (touched up) photos of our treks through the backroads of the …

Patriotic Ensemble

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I am not one to dress symbolically, but on occasion will throw in accessories which are a subtle reminder of a national celebration. Happy 4th of July to all who celebrate the holiday. Patriotic Ensemble by rawsilkandsaffron featuring gold bangles Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress matchesfashion.com Pierre Hardy red sandals shirise.com Chloé satchel bag forwardforward.com Dsquared leather bangle dsquared2.com Gold bangle $38 – debenhams.com Juliet & Company pearl stud earrings shopbop.com Polka dot scarve gojane.com Ray-Ban ray ban shades shopbop.com

interior decor: calming and esthetically pleasing style

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A man ‘s home is his  castle. I think I’ve heard this saying a dozen times and since I truly appreciate all forms of design and architecture, I truly believe that if a home is a man’s castle (well in my book it’s also a woman’s castle) then he, and once married, mostly she should find ways to  make it a calming and esthetically pleasing place and of course words are not enough to express what I mean (as usual) so here are some of my favorite calming and esthetically pleasing style 🙂 {click on first photo to start the slideshow}

Comfy fashion

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Comfy fashion by rawsilkandsaffron featuring jersey shirts J Brand jersey shirt trilogystores.co.uk Mango crochet pants €45 – placedestendances.com ALAIN QUILICI wooden heel shoes €421 – lindestore.com Modalu brown shoulder bag €297 – pret-a-beaute.com

san francisco weekend social calendar – june 29 to july 1

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I have decided to include a new entry on my blog called San Francisco Weekend Social Calendar.  The purpose of this entry is to loop you in on what I recommend  to do over the weekend in San Francisco. Tourists are welcome of course. So for this weekend, being June 29 thru July 1, I recommend the following  {click on photo for details}: Friday, June 29, 2012 – AT&T Park For The Garlic Festival. Need I say more, Garlic, The Giants, good times 🙂 Saturday, June 30, 2012 – Private Garden Dinner for 10 at Regazza. This is a special offer which in my opinion is amazing if you have a group of friends on a budget (or not) Sunday, July 30,2012 – Eurocup Final Italy vs Spain (Go Italy!!!) at Lalola Bar De Tapas . Whether you are a fan of soccer (a.k.a. football) or not doesn’t matter. It’s a fun filled experience for sure.

pizza with potato and blue cheese or greek cheese – you pick

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I love pizza and although I watch everything I eat, I do occasionally cheat by going to my favorite pizza place here, in San Francisco and order a slice of their pesto, red skin potato and whole garlic pizza.  It is truly delicious. Lately I have been on a mission to recreate some of my favorite eats at home, so I found a recipe here somewhat similar  to my favorite pizza. The only problem is I hate blue cheese, so I used Greek cheese instead.  Now if I could only learn to  eat just one slice, then I will be  just fine. For the pizza dough: 4 cups (560g) bread flour 2 teaspoons sea salt 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (see Notes) 1 1/2 cup (375ml) water, at room temperature For the topping: 2 medium onions, peeled 1 pound (450g) small, firm potatoes, such as Yukon golds or fingerling 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, plus a handful of thyme branches 6 to 8 ounces (170g-225g) blue cheese Garlic oil: 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil Additional ingredients you’ll need: …