Author: MS

Location Is Everything When Writing a Novel

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Like a film set, location in books are equally important, finding just the perfect house or apartment, cafe down the street, a restaurant, hotels, and cabins, beach scenes or inland, all of it play a major role while writing–enticing the imagination. What’s funny is that I’ll stumble upon a place while exploring the world, or even in the bay area, and I’ll stop and take a picture, and take it home, download it on my laptop and arrange it in the order I want to see a story pan out. In light of this style of writing if you will, I want to share with you the four significant hotels I used in my first novel – Piazza Navona – click here to read about them and here to order the book  

There Is This Show – Velvet – From Spain

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I am always fascinated withthe 1950s-1960s fashion. I think the whole pencil skirt, A-line dresses, form-fitting jackets, red lipstick, perfect colored stockings and the best shoes, most of the fashion to this day appreciated and  incorporated here and there. I love it when I see a period film perfectly detailing the fashion for  the period (50-60s) and  I think for me Mad Men was the best until just recently I discovered Velvet, a soap opera from Spain. The show is pretty cheesy, in a funny and cute sort of way, and I have grown to love all of the actors passing through, or staying on so far in Season 2 on Netflix. Also perks on brushing up on my Spanish of course. But what I love the most is the show is based on a department store in Spain competing with the likes of Dior and Chanel, introducing to us the best of fashion, haute couture anyone can wish for or imagine.  I love it when a show gets it right in costumes and in Velvet’s case, set decor as …

shoes: sale at nordstrom my picks

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Working in the city, we are no longer required to dress up. Let me rephrase, maybe dress up  just in retail and some banks. I laugh. Only because a decade ago everyone was required to look corporate. Lots has changed, and I am okay with it. Love coming to work dressed in jeans if I want to or dress up if I choose to.  So, shoes play a part in the look, as we know it, and most of the time I prefer to be comfortable  to walk everywhere for lunch, to climb hills, and hop on and off busses and trains, running to them on occasion. Anyway, long story short, I walked into Nordstrom to simply order my favorite pomegranate ice tea, and ended up walking out with a few pairs of shoes. Ehmm. Oh well. Click here to go there-Norsdstrom Shoes

recipe: fried apples and toast

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This is part of my romantic morning after breakfast series. I hardly order dessert in restaurants and seldom even make them at home. As you see desserts are my weakness. Don’t get me wrong, when I’m in Paris, I do indulge, mostly puff pasty desserts with apples, or chocolate. Minus of course a daily intake of crepe here and there. This recipe stood out for me, not so much because it is a dessert(although it can be used as such), but the fact, its made with apples, cinnamon, raisin and almonds some of my favorites. Anyway, blogger’s rule, I cannot post the entire recipe here so click here to get there:

fashion: new arrivals at bloomingdale’s – my pick

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Fashion is a wonderful thing, keeping us inspired and motivated to look our best. I can’t see my life without fashion, and hopefully very soon will be launching my own line of wear. Until then, here are some of my favorite everyday wear  new arrivals at Bloomingdale’s .