Month: July 2014

fashion: haute couture – giambattista valli

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I do love old-fashioned and efforts to remind us of them in recent years in fashion, decor, art and photography is most appreciated – at least for me anyway. So for the love of old-fashioned here are some of my favorites from Giambattista Valli – Fall-Winter 2014-15 collection:

interesting finds online – vol 1

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1. An Italian Hotel build inside an abandoned grotto – click here  to read about it 2. How French Women curve their cravings – click here to read about it 3. Best Noodle Houses in New York City. Click here for a list 4. All things French. Click here for the visual happiness 5. Boyhood – a film worth seeing. Click here for the article:

photography: napa wineries overcast

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As I drove along the windy road aiming to get to the wineries on Sunday, I was a little disappointed when I noticed it was raining. This reaction is of course expected, since we don’t usually get rain in the bay area in the so called summer months and second, why did it happen on the one day I decided to go to the wineries trying to escape the dreary foggy/muggy weather in San Francisco. I know, I’m acting like a brat. Anyway, I realized after parking my car that the colors from the gray skies to the green of the vines to the neutral tones of the dirt with colorful flowers here and there made for amazing photographs, so I snapped what I felt needed capturing. Monet, Picasso and Manet to name a few would have been proud of me. Here’s a few I want to share and ask that you not borrow the photographs without my consent please. Thank you and enjoy. {Photographs are the property of rawsilkandsaffron and may not be copied, …

fashion: valentino haute couture 2014-15

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Lots happened over the weekend, too busy to detail all in one night. While I gather my notes, and upload my photos, I wanted to take today to simply think about fashion. Haute Couture to be exact. Here are some of my favorites from Valentino Haute Couture 2014-15 season: (Can you imagine the celebs who will consider these gorgeous gowns for the award season?

healthy suggestions to share

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Let’s face it. We are on information overload about how to be healthy, eat well, sleep enough, drink plenty of water and the ‘do’s and don’t’ to consider to maintain a fine lifestyle. On occasion, I scroll through these articles only to validate what I already know and decide after 30minutes of scanning the information, to keep going, just the way I have for years – eating the good and the bad in moderation, exercising and staying positive, knowing, deep down, those are the key ingredients for a lasting effect. Once in a while, I want to share what I firmly believe in and have practiced for decades, hoping it would at least help make a change in someone’s life, since it’s been validated. Here are some of the best suggestions – click on photo to be redirected:

a uniquely secret garden in california

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The Summer months are the toughest time for me to stay inspired, since the weather is not the best in San Francisco to uplift my spirits. I stay indoors a lot and often spend countless hours daydreaming of places to visit with sun and warm weather, restlessly needing to get away. Of course having been a travel agent at one point in my career, adds to my distress since I find myself searching online, while bundled up in sweat pants and a sweater, information about travel. One particular story caught my attention recently, enlightening me naturally since I had no idea it existed. But apparently there is a secret garden worth seeing nestled in Fresno, California, a place most of us locals don’t consider a vacation spot. It’s called Forestiere Gardens. Please click here to read the article and see photo credits. I think I just added Fresno to my list of things to do in California.