FLORENCE

I just got back from Florence, Italy. I have never been to Italy and I have to say, it was everything I had imagined, but a bit more touristy than I thought. I actually went to Rome AND Florence, but it was Florence that really took my breath away. A few places that are a must...The Uffizi Gallery with art work by Michelangelo,Leonardo Da Vinci and Botticelli to name a few, Palazzo Vecchio, Signoria Square, the Old Bridge, and just walking around the shopping areas to find amazing gelato and leather shops. I actually ate my way through this city. I was told a list of places to go and went to about two of them. There were so many tempting places on every corner, it was just as easy to eat an one place on Signoria Square than all the way over on the other side of town! I will be blogging about a few dishes I had there soon...check some of these photos out!

KELLY WEARSTLER

I had the priveledge of meeting Kelly Wearstler on a shoot a few months ago when we were shooting her for the Bon Appetit Awards for the award for the best Designer of the year. At that time, she told me that she had a line coming out and I was so excited to see what she would do. As I was looking at DESIGN SPONGE a few days ago, and then also Lizzie's DESIGN WATCHER, and both of them being my favorite blogs... I saw that she had a party at Berdorf's and that the line has launched! If your not familiar with her, you obviously don't watch TOP DESIGN.
She is Los Angeles-based and is most well known for her interior design. She created the taste-making designs of luxury hotel properties (Viceroy Santa Monica and Palm Springs), exclusive restaurants (BG in New York's Bergdorf Goodman) and celebrity residences (Ben Stiller and Jeanne Tripplehorn's homes), and also is the Paula Abdul of Top Design. I went onto the Bergdorf website and her stuff isn't on there at this time but I am sure it will be soon. Check her out or if you live in NY, check out the new showroom that she has. Click on the title above to get more info about her design items at Berdorf's.

THOMAS PAUL

Need some wall art for a baby's room? A bathroom? Office? Check out this website...there is some great canvas wall art. Check the title above.

DAVID WEEKS

I love this...who doesn't love a fire by the campfire. Its a porcelain candle holder and its only $19! Check it out by clicking on the title above.

CRIS NOTTI

I am very light sensitive and so I either need a very dark room or one of these eye guards to get good shut eye. Check these out...a stylish way to sleep comfortably! They are made out of silk for ultra comfort and are only $20.Check it out by clicking on the title above.

SAMUEL MOYER GIFTS

Samuel Moyer, a LA furniture designer has come out with some very special pieces. Shown, is the The Hair-of-the-Dog Tray...which is great to eat in bed, use to set your laptop on or great for serving drinks too!
Comes in Ash, Cherry and Black Walnut Ply. Its $170. The cutting board is also impressive. Also comes in various woods and the price is around $200.

SPLASH

I saw this on Apt Therapy...its a fantastic gift for a hip mom. Every new mom needs one of these...and the price is right...its only $28. It comes in Red, White and Blue. Check it out by clicking on the title above.

HARALD HYNELL

This tree motiff may not be a new idea, but this designer is pretty amazing.
Check him out by clicking on the title above.

WINE MERCHANT IN SF

I was in San Francisco this past weekend for a wedding but I had a little time to shop around in the Ferry Building. I have had a sudden interest in wine lately and I am planning a trip to Rome in a few weeks so I had to stop in at the well known Wine Merchant store to get some helpful hints from Dejah Overby, the wine manager there for a few tips.
I saw that they had a fantastic selections of wines under $20, (featured on their website), and I wanted to get some of the affordable wines back to LA to taste. Most of these wines are exclusive to them and very difficult to find, and its a nice treat to order them online, have them sent to your home for $15 or so, and impress your guests.
The ones I purchased were a few types of grapes...one in the old world and one from the new world...check them out if you are throwing a dinner party:
New World's Stephen Vincent's 2005 Crimson ($10), Old World's Le Clos Du Caillou's 2005 Cote Du Rhone ($22), New World's HEndry Ranch 2004 Pinot Noir ($20), Old World's Chateau Faure-Beausejour 2003 Gran Vin De Bordeaux, New World's Four Vines 2005 Zinfandel($10), and finally the Old World's Le Sciare 2003 Salento Primitivo ($14).Purchase these by clicking on the title above.

MISSONI TOWELS

I was reading Lizzie Garrett's blog called Designwatcher.com, one of my favorite blogs. Lizzie featured the Missoni Throws which got me investigating Missoni Home... I have always been a huge fan of the home collection but didn't think I could afford it.
I had gotten a few beach towels as gifts and just figured it was out of my price range.
I decided last week that my bathroom is a bit sterile in design, so I think these towels would add a bit of color and class to the two rooms that need help! Check them out on this website. They are fairly reasonable in price but just a the burst of color that your bathrooms might need. Bath Towels are $42, and the hand towels are $15.
Sizes: hand towel 16" width x 28" length, bath towel 27" width x 46" length

CRAFT

Craft Los Angeles opened mid-July in Century City. We went there this weekend to try out Tom Collichio's new restaurant. We have a magical night of delicious food, excellent service and a very well-educated waiter, Brett and a cocktail server named Taryn. We started off with drinks outside in a comfortable seated area with bright lights in the dark sky from the corporate buildings lighting it up...sort of like scene out of film Collateral.
The wine selection was fantastic... as we had glass after glass of the Ken Volk Pinot. They had great beers such as Chimay and Paulaner Pilsner. The decor is a bit corporate and slick, but it does have sense of New York sophistication that is lacking in Los Angeles.
We ordered VARIOUS appetizers and entrees, as the crew I was with ordered like they had just gotten out of jail.
These were the must have's...
Appetizers: heirloom tomato plate, pork belly, octopus, duck egg, and the Oysters. Entree's: Short Ribs was the only thing that knocked it out of the park...Halibut was tasty but nothing special, Scallops were a bit overcooked but tasty. Desserts: Choc Tart, Donuts and the Fig Tart was incredible. Perhaps it was the company, but our group left there with big smiles, satisfied belly's and a feeling that this night was special . The bill for four was about the rent of my 1st apt in New York, but worth every penny.

FUJIWO ISHIMOTO

This guy is an unbelievable designer. He just designed some interesting fabrics for Marimekko. Check them out by clicking on the his name above. Fujiwo Ishimoto finds his main source of inspiration in nature and its aspects in different seasons.
The Collection contains some twenty fabrics designed by Ishimoto.

FUN VASES

Check out these fun affordable vases by clicking on the pink title. These are from Anthropologie...its a great way to give a room a lift if you are getting sick of the home accessories you have.

SOME SUMMER FUN

Its been a while since I have blogged...I have been so busy at work at Bon Appetit Magazine with our new redesign and basically just having alot of fun. I have some photos here from a dinner party this Saturday.
I will be back in action blogging away...as I have alot of things to share.
One thing I learned this summer after having alot of dinner parties...MUSIC is the most important part of the party...more important than the food!
Check out some of these new bands...I played them at the party and they were a big hit!
THIEVES LIKE US...THE NEW WHITE STRIPES...AMBULANCE LTD...and TV ON THE RADIO...THE NEW SPOON...MENOMEN..MSTRKRFT.

WHITE RABBITS

Yes, another Indie band but very much like Cold War Kids and Peel...the music is electrifying. WHITE RABBITS make you want to get out of your car and dance. Great vocals. LIke the use of piano, and lots of different instruments. Its fun and upbeat. The new record called Fort Nightly and just came out in May. Their website, whiterabbitsmusic.com directs you to AMAZON OR INSOUND to purchase the new CD. . I love a few of their songs...Kid on my Shoulders, Navy Wives, and I Used to Complain. Check them out by clicking on the pink title.

KIWI BERRY

I was walking to the Beverly Center with a friend the other day and we stopped at a in the small mini-mall nearby to check out a new yogurt store. Its a complete knock off of PinkBerry...the modern decor, various toppings, the either/or on the flavors, and the prices. I am not a huge fan of PinkBerry but I am the minority.
I ordered the original flavor with Mango, blueberries and granola. As I was tasting it...I was really surprised by how much I liked it. Its a bit sweeter than PinkBerry, but damn, it was good. There is on in Koreatown in the corner of 6th and Kenmore and then one one in Orange County and Claremont. Check it out...it pretty damn good.

KOO DE KIR

A strike to the heart…is the french tranlation of Koo de Kir. This is a cool store in Boston that has a great website that offers modern home furnishings and home accessories. They have been around since 1997, before the post century modern craze started. Check out their website...the prices are reasonable and the tea set is my favorite. They also have a cool Eva Zeisel sugar and cream set and also these Tord Boonje plates I bought at Anthropolgie last year. Good Stuff.

EVELINE

I have been having alot of dinner parties lately and what people most notice is the collection of illustrations that I have purchased from my favorite illutrator named EVELINE TARUNADJAJA. She lives in AUstrailia and I found her blogging one night.
I think she is amazing and so does anyone that seems my beautiful illustrations. Check out her website, and she also does commissioned work. I asked her to do one for a friend a while back as a gift and it was gorgeous.

AMENITY BEDDING

So I am all about getting rid of the old and having fun with refreshing my home and my bedroom. Sometimes if you are feeling like you are in a rut, or bored, the best thing to do is throw out your bedding or towels and start over!

Check these sheets out...pretty cool.

COSTA RICA

I just got back from a intense surf retreat in Costa Rica. I wanted to go and learn how to surf.

I stayed at this hotel and across the street was a great surf school called Safari Surf school. You can check them out but I am really glad that I stayed at the Harmony Hotel. Its an eco-friendly hotel, with the most amazing staff and the nicest rooms in the area of Noscara. I made some great friends...Marian, a investment banker from NYC and Liz, a lawyer from SF. They both went to the surf camp alone to surf, and they inspired me to travel alone more often. I don't usually travel alone, but I see that it can be more fun and the amount of people you meet is unbelieveable!
Regarding the surf, it was the best beach to learn, the waves were perfect, 3-6 feet, lefts and rights. I caught my first overhead, and considering that I was scared to death to paddle out to the outside.


Check out the website. You can tell from my pedicure that I was beaten up from all the surfing, but I have to say, its was one of the most amazing trips I have been on in years. Costa Rica is amazing.

PEEL

I have been travelling pretty hardcore for the last month and have not had time to blog. New York, San Franciso, and then Cosa Rica. I did pick up alot of new music along the way though...I was in Costa Rica a few weeks ago, and I listened to a few CD's that will forever make me look back and smile when I think of CR.

This is my favorite new band called PEEL. Check them out by clicking on the pink title. Also, if you check out PITCHFORK.COM...you can look up a few others that I like...LCD,The Shins, Artic Monkey's and the Thrills. THey all sound sort of alike, but very upbeat british rock.
Check them out! Also, thanks for checking in. Will be blogging as usual now.

SNAP

I just got this digital camera and for someone that had been very resistant to going digital, its pretty easy to use.
Its has 7.2-megapixel still images but it also records high-quality movies in MPEG-4 format. Very stylish camera for $299.99. Check it out by clicking on the pink title.

KIDS BEDDING

I saw this item on WREN ELEVEN's blog, and wish they made bedding in adult sizes. So fun, colorful...and the prices are so reasonable. Check it out by clicking on the pink title.

GRETCHEN JULIUS

I love these elephant rings by Gretchen Julius. The sterling Silver one with Blue Topaz is $415. The 14K gold one is $1250.
Check them out by clicking on the pin title.

DR. DOG

I love this upbeat band from Philidelphia, PA. They remind me of the Beatles and Beach Boys, but with a modern rock pop edge.
This current CD out, makes me want to jump on my bed. Check them out by clicking on the pink title.

HATS

I am always cold. I wear hats year round, and fell in love with these hats. They are unique, well at least a few of them, and the fun. The brown ones are around $200, and the caps are about $88. Check them out on Ravinstyle.com. Click the pink title.

SOFT GOODS

I was checking out OH JOY'S Blog and found these fantastic pillows. They are so colorful and great for summer and spring.
Their site is under contruction, but they list a few places you can buy online.
Babygeared
www.babygeared.com
The Shop at Cooper-Hewitt
www.cooperhewittshop.org

Check it out by clicking on the pink title.

PETFINDER

I was volunteering at a Dog Rescue called Ace of Hearts about 6 months ago. I got an adorable Jindo mix to foster for two months. I adored him but he was a special needs dog, and so I had to give him back after that time because I wasn't trained to handle his issues. I took a little break from the volunteering, but I think I am ready to give another dog another chance and foster again. I watch DOG WHISPER regularly and last night, there was a show on dogs that are rescued from being killed. If you are ready to get a dog, please consider adoption. There are hundreds of loving animals that need homes...they just need some close attention for the first couple of weeks. Dogs can change our lives just as much as we can change their lives.
Here is a great website that you can find a great dog near your neighborhood. Check it out by clicking on the pink title.

COLORFUL CHAIRS

I have been looking for a new colorful chair for my place for a few weeks...I got an anthropologie home catalogue this weekend and its awesome. I think the home decor buyer is awesome and really bringing their home collection to a new level.
Lizzie Garrett of Designwatcher.com was inspired by green a month or so back...which I like alot, but I am into yellow these days too. Take a look...check them out by clicking the pink title.