All posts filed under: garden must visit

photography inspired must have books

Coffee table books and one’s used throughout the home as inspiration for cooking, daydreaming and falling asleep to is a must in any home. Collecting the right one’s sometimes may be difficult for some and finding the best one’s is most rewarding for the addicts. I happen to be the addict and love to have stacks of  oversized hardcover books all throughout my home.  I normally settle for museum themed ones, or black and  white photography of mostly European cities and some vintage items as well.  So, I was happy to have come across PARIS TANGO by photographer Carla Coulson and wanted to share it with my readers just incase they are in the market for collectible coffee table books or just a gift idea for Christmas. The theme of PARIS TANGO is described as follows: Published by Penguin, “Paris Tango” is a portrait of the City of Lights as you have never seen it before. From the African street markets of Chateau Rouge to the penthouse suite of the Paris Ritz, Coulson and her camera …

admiring restoration hardware

For a few months now I have stayed away from most things pertaining to  the home, mainly because I just sold mine and also because I am what one may call “in transition” with my life. But about a week ago I walked into a Restoration Hardware store because even though I desperately tried to walk by without looking, I couldn’t help succumb to the new theme from within the store, enticing my curiosity. Not sure if most of my readers are familiar with the store, so I have included a link here just to set the stage for you.  Anyway, I walked into the store or “the gallery” I should say and to my amazement, it had transformed into the most exquisite and delectable and almost museum like display of the most wonderful, classic and in a unique way functional pieces ever put together for the consumer’s viewing pleasure. Well done Restoration Hardware! After picking up a catalog and pointing out the wonderful pieces to my brother as we circled the store, I came home …

foggy days in san francisco

Being a sun worshiper, I actually dread summers in San Francisco. Most everywhere around the globe experiences sunny, warm and even hot days in the summer months where people can actually dress colorful, have picnics and frequent the beaches or community pools for those living more inland, as well as outdoor concerts, sidewalk cafes and a stroll through a central park. It is a time to really enjoy the outdoors and get a dose of the old Vitamin D the natural way. But in San Francisco, that is not the case of course during the summer months. Those of us who live here seem to be the most depressed in the summer because all we do is bundle up and turn the heat on while indoors just to stay warm and dry.  The only folk walking the streets are the tourists, who often come here in shorts and t-shirts, and are always shocked at how the weather is. So, in an effort to cheer myself up and to shift my eyes from seeing nothing but …

1001 gardens to visit before i die

I don’t know if you have noticed but in most museum stores, there is a book perfectly displayed, titled 1001 Gardens You Must Visit Before You Die.  Although I hate the words visit and die in the same sentence and normally don’t really look at such books, but because I am a garden phonetic, I actually flipped through the book when I was in the Getty Museum (Center) bookstore couple of weeks ago. From the 1001 gardens listed in the book, I have visited perhaps two or three thus far, and although I would love to make a point to see a hundred of the gardens in the book, I know I am not really going to get a chance to do so, for one reason or another and mostly because some of them are in countries I don’t really plan to visit in my lifetime. So, I would love to  hear from anyone and everyone who has had the wonderful opportunity to visit any of the famous gardens around the world listed in the …

getty museum garden envy

Nature, gardens, plants, trees and flowers, you name it and I am there to enjoy it and take pictures of. One place I completely love to visit is the Getty Center (Museum) Gardens in Los Angeles. It’s an inspirational place to say the least and an extra ordinary maze to walk through while enjoying over 134,00 square feet of pathways lined with exotic, amazing, colorful, beautiful plants, flowers and trees as well as streams of waters flowing down toward a neatly arranged sitting area under Bougainvillea vines intertwined inside several oversized wicker planters. Everywhere you look, there is another rare flower in bloom and foliage in every shape, size, and color imaginable. Each plant is so strategically planted in order to get the proper light or shade necessary  for them to flourish to their full potential. There is nothing out-of-place and not a scent too strong. The feeling one gets walking about the gardens is unexplainable and yet recommended for everyone to experience at least once in their lifetime. What I also find fascinating is  watching …