Emerald Green with Envy

via New York Daily News

Emerald green is back (was it ever out?) and has made it's debut in a big way on the Golden Globe's red carpet.  Angelina Jolie and Mila Kunis donned two of my favorite dresses in my favorite hue to wear!

Want to add some emerald to your wardrobe:

1. Lanvin Satin Wrap-Front Dress 

2. Melody Botanical Chandelier Earrings

3. YSL Tribtoo Suede Pumps

4. BCBG Elite Sport Watch

5. Thread Social Asymmetric Silk Bow Dress

6. Rebecca Taylor Ruffle Cami Dress

7. Charlie Jade 'Marie' Silk Dress

Guess I will be pulling this little number back out of the closet!

New Place New Decor?

We are getting settled in our new apartment.  The never ending boxes are slowly filtering out and our furniture has been re-constructed and positioned to maximize space.


Now, I am left feeling a little empty.  I know this is only temporary, but I am left with nothing to decorate in our new apartment.  That's why suddenly the idea of purchasing a shower curtain has become very exciting.  An inexpensive and necessary solution, as we are short a shower curtain in our new place.


There are a lot of choices out there.


Do I want to go colorful and bold like this Marimekko Print?

via Crate & Barrel

I have not exactly made my love for John Robshaw prints a secret, so what about going ethnic/global with his line?

via John Robshaw

Or going a similar route with global inspired prints for less?

via Target

via Bed Bath & Beyond

Ruffly and feminine?

via Burke Decor

Or this almost identical version at a fraction of the price?

via Target

Perhaps another bargain choice with gray ruffles?

via Urban Outfitters

Simple and structured with endless colorways?

via Fine Linen & Bath

Soft and muted?

via Anthropologie

Hotel inspired with a personal monogram?

via Ballard Design

I am still unsure of my final choice.  Thoughts?

Monday Escapes: Book Edition

I can't stop thinking about this article that featured some of the must-visit travel destinations for 2011.  It claims that Stockholm, Sweden now tops the list of most visited European cities.  I was surprised not that Stockholm had garnered this title, but the reason behind the rising visitors:

I loved the series (see here), but the violent chase scenes through the impossible to pronounce streets, government conspiracies aimed at innocents, and the prevalence of gruesome scenes at the hands of ghastly individuals, shouldn't exactly make people say hmmmm that sounds lovely, for our next vacation: Stockholm it is.


Although for me, and many others it appears, the book did just that.

                                   Image via Pinterest from Forever is Today

Here are some more books on my list of great reads that take you through a haunting journey through a location that should at first glance discourage a potential vacation, but entices you all the same.

Follow two recent college graduates on an often harrowing adventure through Communist China (based on the author's real experience), with a surprising twist.  

Image via Pinterest

This riveting tale that takes place during Franco's era in Spain, does not paint the picture of the vibrant Barcelona we all know today.  Equal parts mystery and romance, you can imagine reading this book while sipping espresso at a cafe in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter.

I imagined La Sagrada Familia's Gothic architecture looking dark and ominous as I read the novel.

Image via Travelmoon

The setting of this Pulitzer Prize winning book of short stories from one of my favorite writers often takes place in the United States rather than India.  But the cultural and familial pull to India is a constant theme and leaves you wanting to get a glimpse in to the country that has seeped into the characters' psyches.  

Both challenging and addicting, India, is a country I often long to re-visit and is also the country that I have the hardest time articulating to others who don't share my yen for traveling why that is so.

Image via Travelmoon

There is also the award winning movie Slumdog Millionare helming this trend (which is based on the book by the same name).  Marie Claire's recent article (January 2011) noted that in Mumbai, the 

slum-facing hotel rooms are the MOST requested.  This also goes for the Four Seasons Hotel, where people seem to prefer the slum view rooms to those facing the sea.  I guess travel inspiration comes in the most unexpected of ways.

Happy reading!

Kitchen Inspiration

Now that we are closer to purchasing a home, and I have seen the kitchen dimensions and space on multiple occasions, it is all I can dream about.  This is my favorite inspiration kitchen of all time:

Image via Style at Home

I love a traditional kitchen with a modern twist.  The all white cabinets, Hicks pendant lights, carrara marble countertops and carrara subway tile, glass cabinets, white hood, white bar stools with nailheads.  It all equals perfection.

I am definitely not alone in feeling inspired by this kitchen--I have seen that many other bloggers have also documented their love for it too (including cococozy, sketch42, and most recently madebygirl who used it as the jumping off point for her own inspiring recent kitchen remodel).

During my last kitchen remodel I kept referring back to this picture, but I decided against carrara marble subway tile, because I thought it too busy for the small space.  And the Hicks pendant lights were a little out of budget.  Hopefully, round two I can incorporate them into my space.

Image via Travelmoon

Below are some other kitchens from my files that have similar elements and offer more inspiration:

I definitely love the look of a painted island as a contrast to the white cabinets--also part of the design plan.

Can't wait to see it all come together!

*Images via 1-5 Elle Decor, 6-7 House Beautiful, 8 Jennifer Worts Design via Cottage Modern 9 Lonnymag

Bringing Santa Fe Home...

I thought I lost the opportunity to purchase this cookbook at my favorite Santa Fe restaurant, El Farol, but a quick internet search revealed it can be purchased online via Amazon.  

It is the perfect gift for the cook (I ordered one for my Mom's birthday) as it contains many of their famous dishes, and is a unique addition to any cookbook's library with it's Spanish Cuisine.  I for one, am excited that I don't need to return to Santa Fe to indulge in their fried avocado tapa.  Hopefully, my attempt at the recipe turns out half as good as theirs.

OLD v NEW

We have been looking at listings for months. I could pretty much double as a real estate agent since I had spent what felt like years on the MLS in California and now with our recent move to Dallas an exorbitant amount of time on Realtor.com.  I always loved looking at real estate so I never thought I would say this but I'm...

I am not a total novice when it comes to Dallas real estate.  I lived in Dallas for 8 months, and my husband previously owned and sold a home in Dallas too, so I have some familiarity with the area.

The question on our most recent search is OLD versus NEW.  I am very much drawn to new construction, which probably has something to do with my affinity for wandering through model homes, a very old pastime of mine.  I know that model homes can be very bland filled with all of the stagers decor, but of course I am insistent on infusing your own personal style in what I look at is not stager heaven but a new blank slate. 


And hello! I practically lived in Pleasantville or what could double as the set of Wisteria Lane in what one article termed Zombieland (which has more to do with the bad loans, falling home prices, short sales, and foreclosures rather than Stepford Wives, but still I loved my Zombieland!).

With that description, I think NEW is winning out to an older, more prestigious community, where we would have to buy a real fixer upper in an area where dilapidated brick ranch homes stand next to Texas sized multi-millionare dollar mansions.  Not that these areas don't exude charm, and not that I am scared nor fear for lack of vision, but mostly, it's that you can't change the floor plan without bulldozing the house and starting over.  The floor plans are very chopped up and always missing something on my must-have list (like a defined entryway).


I find myself constantly comparing these older homes with the new construction home that I fell in love with (and it doesn't escape me that this community happens to bear a striking similarity to my beloved Zombieland), along with the process of picking out every single detail of the home as it is built from the ground up, which sort of sound like design heaven. 

Nothing has been formally purchased yet, but we are heading in that direction...

Lonny loves Palm Beach

The new Lonny is here (Jan/Feb 2011), and I couldn't help but notice how many times Palm Beach/West Palm Beach showed up in its features.  Maybe my radar is on high alert having just traveled there a couple of weeks ago as seen here.  But I couldn't help but think that between the homes filled with vintage treasures discovered in West Palm Beach and its Dixie Highway, along with the recent article in Elle Decor about Palm Beach's hotspots, it is quite the coincidence!

There is a whole spread on Lilly Pulitzer and the Fashion Director of the company said it best:

As far as shopping on Dixie Highway and West Palm Beach, more than one feature highlighted their finds from various antique shops:

 This chair.

The chandelier.

The etagere.

This armoire.

The lucite drawers installed in the closet.

The vintage Gracie wall panels.

Headboard, bench, and tables.

Check out the magazine and see if you can spot some of the other South Florida finds.


*Images via Lonny