All posts filed under: Culture

Culture: Topics of Discussion Over Cocktails and Sushi

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Have you ever considered a sushi night get-together? I mean catering sushi for a cocktail party hosted by, well…you? Something like – you provide the sushi and the guests provide the cocktails. And I do mean provide the cocktails (recipe index card included) for that amazing bar-keeper to create the masterpiece drink of choice. And when all the conversation has run out about sushi and cocktails, here are some interesting topics you might want to consider bringing up to fuel discussions among the crowd…

Travel: Latest French Inspiration

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First topic about France on RawSilkandSaffron for 2018. I am sure my friends are wondering what is wrong with me to have waited so long to bring up my favorite destination and all things French :). But January has been a difficult month for my beloved city and surrounding countryside due to all the flooding, I am hopeful that they will safely pull through it. {photo source} Focusing on the positive – I found this article at the beginning of January – about Montmartre, décor de cinéma – I suggest if you are aiming to include Paris this year in your holiday (a.k.a vacation) planning and if you haven’t been, see the classic film An American In Paris before heading to the cinema. French films have been around longer than American and I am happy that there is a place in Paris finally creating an ambiance so we can truly appreciate films that are made in the city of romance.  Films such as An American in Paris (Vincente Minnelli, 1951), Moulin Rouge (Baz Luhrmann, 2001), Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen, 2010); to French …

Travel: Best Countries to Visit 2017 and 2018

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I couldn’t resist comparing these lists – when it comes to suggestions offered up by various  travel sites about where to travel next. In 2017 – Conde Nast Traveler suggested these destinations: Canada American Mid-West Cuba Bermuda Athens Scotland Scandinavian Countries (Norway, Finland, Sweden) Portugal Croatia Jerusalem New Zealand Tokyo Zimbabwe Rawanda Buenos Aires Chilean Patagonia Uruguay In 2018 – These are the countries recommended by Lonely Planet Chili South Korea Portugal Djibouti New Zealand Malta Georgia in the Caucasus Mauritius China South Africa Where are you planning to travel in 2018?

Sunday Reads And A Cup of Coffee or Tea

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Sunday mornings are the best. I wake up early no matter the leisure day, and  do a bit of reading an actual paperback with a cup or two of green tea in hand, and then get online to plan out my blogging week. All before breakfast :). I feel more accomplished like that. Anyway, without boring you with too much background, I share with you today’s interesting finds:

Afternoon tea in London – On My Bucket List

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Sure, I’ve done tea in the countryside in England, but never one in London. Not sure why that is, but I bet it’s the need to run around and see every tourist sight in the two-day stay I normally schedule for this fair city. Anyway, next Spring I will be going to just outside London to visit with a friend and I have already told her to pencil us in for a few tea rooms from this list:

Travel: October Onward

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Believe it or not this is the best time to travel – past the summer craziness. Airfares are reasonable, destinations are less crowded, and the cooling air make it a pleasant stay even the hottest of locations. So I am going to share the interesting of finds online regarding travel. Maybe I’ll slow down or stop in November 🙂

Lifestyle: Self Love

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I’ve been discussing the topic of self-love or not-so-much with a few close friends of mine recently – and although after the talks, I feel a little better about things, sooner than later, I fall back into the bad habits I’ve developed like most who are hard on ourselves. You know the kind where you don’t think you’ve reached your full potential or that you are spending too much time taking care of others and not so much yourself, or simply the guilty feelings when you fail at something you’ve set out to do, or even giving up. I think what I wonder most is, how some people know exactly how to talk themselves out of those destructive behaviors while others don’t. And then I wonder if those who preach – are they truly as together as they come across. When I am out in the world, or simply my neck of the world, I observe others naturally, to figure out why the (worried, distant, tired, disappointed, or sad) expression plastered across their faces and …

Travel: Paris in the Fall

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I’ve been thinking hard about taking a trip to Paris in the next few weeks, well…because I simply miss it. So while searching the best airfare, and rates at my favorite hotel, I came across this interesting article in Timeout Online of the 21 things not to miss while in Paris in the fall. Which, makes my need to go even better :).  Here’s what I would be doing:

Travel: California Wineries

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In my opinion, February and October are the best months for the wineries in California – in terms of the beautiful photo opps.  February, thanks to the yellow mustard plants covering entire fields – the color contrast most welcoming against the bare blackened vines. October is harvest season, when the grapes are robust and deep variations of purple, and maroon, some even tranquil shades of green – intertwined with the changing Autumn colors of the leaves. So, naturally you have to plan a trip to California to see unique and some of the  most beautiful wineries: Sunstone Winery