All posts filed under: architecture and art

Travel: The Colorful Storefronts of Paris

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I actually smiled from ear to ear when I saw this beauty of an article because, in March, when I did my annual Euro-trip, with 3 days in Paris, my travel partner and I stood across the street from a restaurant (featured image above), deciding whether we should have lunch there or not, and while contemplating, a handsome man who obviously either owned the place or managed it, stood within the doorway and waved, either flirting or encouraging us to go inside. Laughing, or giggling like school girls, we decided to pass. I think the pressure of him taking our order would have made us spend too much 🙂 – Now that I think about it, we should have taken him up on his offer to simply sit  at curbside, and just be. So, this article, about the colorful storefronts of Paris is actually so very true. I do stop and go inside any store that is creatively decorated on the outside, luring me in – in my case, admiring the artist and the owner …

Decor: Ideas From Luxury Hotel

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Let’s face it – you walk into a hotel room and your jaw drops – seeing the perfect decor just as the one you saw online, naturally setting the tone for your travels (hopefully in a good way) 🙂 When I was in my twenties, I often times chose a basic hotel, reasonably priced near the train stations since I was not only on a tight budget, but chose to stay only a day or two  in each city to maximize my month long vacation. Meaning, being near the train station help facilitate my crazy itinerary.  The interesting thing is, the more I travel throughout Europe,  the more I notice the hotels nearing the train stations have done an amazing job renovating their properties – not only their location most ideal still for me to this day, but the ambiance worth every penny. Okay, so with that little bit of intro, I love this article about stealing decorating ideas from hotels – which I do all the time.  

Travel: Picturesque Small Towns In Italy

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My mother gives me a look every time I tell her I am going to Italy. She thinks I’ve explored the country way too much, not realizing that there is more, much more to this wonderful destination. And to prove it, I have listed some of the smaller towns I plan to explore the second I have enough guts to drive a car there:

Travel: The Most Romantic Restaurants In The World…and Mine

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To me romantic restaurants can be anywhere you and a special person share the most intimate time together, eating, talking, laughing, flirting even and sometimes making even taking a milestone in your relationship. And while you think about that special place, here’s a list from Architectural Digest suggesting the most romantic restaurants in the world. And just in case you are wondering, here’s my favorite romantic restaurant which happens to be in Rome and it is where I based my first novel: 

This Morning’s Focus…Italy

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The city (San Francisco) is not the place to be in the summer months if you are a sun worshiper, and the fact the fog is holding steady at bay, and the weather is unpleasantly windy and cold – all of it is enough for me to shift my visual focus – to simply Italy: {Click on photos for destination information}

Boutique Hotel Pick – L’Albergo della Regina Isabella – Ischia, Italy

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This hotel I found, when I did my daily ritual of reading about my celebrity crush – Gerard Butler. Who is currently in Italy attending a festival of sorts and then some. I’ve been to Italy a million times, but have never ventured to Ischia. The most has been Capri.  So, it’s wonderful to discover and based on all that I have read about this wonderful destination – I am definitely in!

Architecture: The World’s 20 Best Loved styles

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It’s sort of difficult to say really what cities architectures truly admire, or appreciate because, based on my travels, I consider every city or town I’ve been to most appreciated – in terms of architecture. But I get it, there is a certain standard or identity to styles which over the years have become most admired and made it to this list. Here are some of my favorites:  

Frank Lloyd Wright – Architecture Admired

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One thing I do while travelling within the US, is see if I could detect which architect designed a building, a  house, or even a monumental structure of sorts. Mostly in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York,  I do lots of searching for that unique style – a structure or dwelling that stands out above the rest. In line with this topic, I found this interesting article about one of my favorite  – Frank Lloyd Wright – an illustrated guide to his work. Who’s your favorite architect?