Month: November 2014

holiday shopping: my picks from banana republic guide

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online shopping for the holidays: books and more books

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Of course I have to put this out there, on black Friday and beyond for those shopping for gift ideas for her. I have decided to partake in a sale, running through the month of December 2014: My novels Piazza Navona and Nob Hill each at USD7.00 and for both USD12.00 plus tax and shipping –  if you order through my Etsy store. The paperback book(s) come nicely gift wrapped for the holidays. Two things to remember: Order your copies early so you can get them in time for Christmas, and if you are trying to figure out which one to order (if only one) then go with Piazza Navona first – its part I. Also, Amazon.com is offering a sale as well, click here to purchase your e-book versions. For Barnes and Noble Nook, click here  

happy thanksgiving 2014

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{photo source} I’ll be taking a long walk on Thanksgiving Day if the weather permits. I’ll have plenty of time since this year my close family members have plans of their own, keeping all of us from getting together – first time in 30 years. I think I need this walk. It’s long overdue. The kind of walk to help me ponder over everything, mostly reflecting. But if I were asked what I am thankful for on this Thanksgiving day, I have to say, I am thankful for my family, thankful we are as healthy as we can be, and as happy as we aimed to be, and that no matter what keeps us apart, we are all striving to better our lives and ourselves…for that I am very grateful.

open for business: atelier300-etsy

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Just in time for Christmas I’ve released four photographs I’ve taken while traveling through Europe. They’ve been enhanced by me mostly as a result of how I defined each photograph. They are available through my Etsy store for purchase, and if you plan to give any of them as a gift for the holidays, be sure to order them no later than December 10th.

holiday shopping guide: coats for her

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It’s almost time for the holiday shopping kick off or at least when you start getting ideas online (or maybe this is a little early). But I couldn’t wait, especially since I fell in love with and bought a camel coat (see below), a color and style I’d been looking for a while. With that, I listed a few other coat ideas I’ve tossed around this year, craving them all. Now I wonder if we are going to get the cold winter weathers here in San Francisco this year? And by cold I mean below 58degrees F. 🙂             (shopping guide and source}

holiday recipes to share

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I can’t believe we are a week away from Thanksgiving here in the states, and the planning begins for most people looking forward to entertaining. Here are a few recipes I stumbled upon which I consider a fresh take on the old tradition, especially for those who hate turkey as much as I do. Also, I take no credit for these recipes or photos, I’m just passing them along, so click away on the photo to be redirected:      

boutique hotel pick – relais and chateaux hotel heritage – bruges, belgium

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It’s been a while since I’ve suggested a boutique hotel – a blog entry I’ve put aside for a while, focusing on other topics instead. But since I am an avid traveler, always longing to get on a plane to go somewhere, at times more or less on a whim, I decided to bring this popular entry back, even throughout the off-season in travel. The city of Bruges, in Belgium came to mind recently since I normally crave to be in a storybook type of place in the winter months, hibernating in a room with character, a fireplace if possible, hot tea at my disposal, the ambiance exuding enough energy to inspire me to write at the very least, the romance portion of my novels. In Bruges, I would stay in Relais and Chateaux Hotel Heritage, and although there isn’t a fireplace in the rooms, the character and charm of each space make it a wonderful destination for romance I could go on forever, detailing bits and pieces of information about this romantic town, but …