shipwrecked in paradise

{we've moved to a new blog}

2009-10-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

Our new website has launched and we are now blogging at www.surlamerdesign.com/blog.

To view our professional portfolio and to shop online, visit our new store at http://www.surlamerdesign.com/.

{spa redesign: Aesthetic Genesis Medical Spa}

2009-07-15T16:58:00.000-07:00

There is a place in Redondo Beach, CA. where you can discreetly slip into a beautiful office to get some pampering spa treatments. This place happens to be owned by a friend of mine, who hired me to remake it into her own oasis.

The waiting room.

We picked a soothing blue for the walls, and accented with a vintage setee and gingko print rug. It has a zen feel without being over the top.

Looking out onto a private courtyard from the waiting room.

The medical treatment room where you can get Botox, laser treatments, Restalyne- or any number of amazing treatments.

Daniela Leslie, the owner of Aesthetic Genesis.

For Daniela's space, we kept it clean and simple with soothing golden yellow walls, crystal chandelier, and large but simple pieces of art.

The acupuncture treatment room.

We used the same golden yellow walls with large art and dark wood floors.

The waxing and facial treatment room.

It was important for us to keep the color palette clean and simple, but not boring. What we got was an energetic but soothing space that gives you all your beauty and medical needs- with a great homey feel.

For more information about Aesthetic Genesis, click here

{travel: San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, CA}

2009-07-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

My husband and I got married at San Ysidro Ranch, and it's our tradition (albeit a new tradition), to come back yearly to celebrate our anniversary. We stay in the same cottage we got married in that overlooks the waterfall. It's such a magical place, and you can feel the mystique of it. The huge eucalyptus trees, incredible gardens, mountains in the background and the private cottages, well, let me tell you, it's a little slice of heaven. It's my favorite trip of the year.

It was voted to be "America's Best Hotel" by Forbes Magazine 2009 and yes, they got it right.

Oh, and The Stonehouse restaurant that is on the property is simply divine. We have yet to leave the property in the four years that we have visited there. If the weather is nice, you can sit on the back deck and have cocktails.

I promise you, if you have any issues sleeping, this is the place to go. The serenity of the passing creek, your own private patio surrounded by lush trees and flowers, the hot tub and outdoor shower- it's the best. I also love the fact that you are in your own private cottage. You never have to see or hear anyone if you don't want to.

My dog, Maxie-sitting in the window seat. She accidentally slipped off the cliff behind the cottage right after we said our vows, and fell into the stream. She was rescued by some skillful rock-climbing employees and the day was saved. We noticed the following year that a safety gate had been erected behind the cottage. Oops!

She is a legend there!

The main living room of the cottage.

The bathroom with heated floors and a clawfoot bathtub looking out to a flower garden.

Click Here for more information about San Ysidro Ranch

{reinvented: Sur La Mer Design}

2009-07-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

On May 31st, I decided it was time to say goodbye to my retail store in North Manhattan Beach. Sur La Mer lived happily there for five years, and the decision had to be made whether or not to renew my lease, with the answer being a resounding 'NO!', (especially from my husband).

For being the first business I ran on my own, and in retail, nonetheless... it was a great success and an incredible learning experience. Without it, I would not have my interior design firm- or the knowledge of how to run my online store, http://www.surlamerdesign.com/- to launch at the end of September.

I'm contemplating opening another store in a more accessible shopping area, but right now, I am enjoying not having the retail part of my business.

The empty store on May 31st, 2009.

Surprisingly, it was a very happy day for me.

The store in its glory days, will always be one of the best experiences of my business life.

Since moving to LA from NY six years ago, it was the only thing I knew! It was the most interesting and unique furniture store I had ever seen, even to this day.

Thanks to all my friends and clients in, and around Manhattan Beach!

You made it fun and successful for me.

If you are in need of interior design services, my new offices are located at:

3508 Highland Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

310.939.7730 direct

310.939.7740 fax

The new online store will launch at the end of September

http://www.surlamerdesign.com/

{design: The Fashion Influence}

2009-04-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

Photo Credits: House Beautiful, May 09

I mentioned in Spaces Magazine last month that Design and Fashion always go hand in hand. So I was not surprised to see in House Beautful and Town & Country magazine, similar color palettes for Spring/Summer. It's going to be a beautiful season! Go out and buy some bright and happy pillows to freshen up your spaces!

Photo Credits: Town & Country, May 09

Photo Credits: Spaces Magazine April 09

Click Here to see the Spaces Magazine
article on Sur La Mer

{a tribute: Momita and her city, Granada}

2009-04-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

Momita, 2008 on one of her courtyards with the dogs.

1903-2009

She was the Matriarch of my father's side of the family, and the oldest living person in Granada, Nicaragua, at 106 years old. My brother Andres, and my Dad were both there when she gave way to old age yesterday- in her birth home (literally the house she was born in), with friends and family at her side. Andres sent these pictures back of her beautiful home (and the home my father grew up in), and felt compelled to show them in tribute to a wonderful woman who lived a simple and good life. Something we all should strive for.

The foyer opening to the main inner courtyards.

Very old original tiles.

Beautiful 100+ year old tile floors.

Formal dining room has views to both pool and center courtyard.

Living room with 14 foot ceilings.

The center courtyard from which all rooms open up to.

Facing the pool courtyard from the formal dining room.

Out to the lush Courtyard.

The Cathedral of Xalteva, Granada built in 1583 a block from Grandma's house

Morning in Granada.

Lake Granada in the distance. The only fresh water lake in the world with sharks.

The house under construction is typical of Granada with a center courtyard/garden with all rooms facing it. Most homes don't have windows facing the street, just large doors which people keep open during the day to socialize with passersby.

The rich colors and Colonial architecture are everywhere.

A grand doorway.

More of the Old City...the oldest in all the America's.

This is a great Arts school right off Central Square

It has an amazing tile face of a German painter from way back when.

They sell the paintings made by the students in a shop nearby.

They also teach guitar,

and violin.

Church of La Merced built 1534.

This is the lifesize Jesus in a glass casket that was in Grandmas bedroom when we were children, and used to scare my brother Andy.

Now it sits at the entrance to the Church of La Merced.

In the belltower.

The handles that ring the church bells.

All Photos and some copy courtesy of Andres Enriquez

{happy earth day: TerraCycle.net}

2009-04-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

This company is revolutionizing the way we think about trash. These creative geniuses have figured out how to recycle the non-recyclable to turn something as simple as a cookie wrapper into consumer items- such as a kite, or a school bag for the kids, or fertilizer or cleansers. You can go to their website and register to send in your cookie bag wrapper, corks, yogurt containers, chip bags, cell phones, energy bar wrappers!

click here to go to their website

{book: Peace Meals cookbook}

2009-04-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

I recently was told about this book, and promptly ordered it here .

This time of year makes me start thinking about Spring dinner parties and the summer spent with friends and family. These occassions, whether casual or formal, always revolve around food- and I'm always looking for new ways to entertain. I love this book not only for the recipes (which all come from The Junior League of Houston, and some of their chef friends), but also for their tablescapes, complete menu ideas, and party prep/setup.

Those Texas girls have lots of great ideas! Now all I need is to get an invite to one of their parties and check it out first hand.

{blog: PVE Design}

2009-04-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

I mentioned on my blog a while back that I had some beautiful work commissioned for my store Sur La Mer , by artist Patricia van Essche. Well, here is a blog mention from her that I

just saw.

She did such a great job with my ad campaign and I still look at these pics and love what she did.

The original picture she worked from

Thanks again Patricia!

{garden: Spring is springing}

2009-04-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

I'm back at home in LA, and I was noticing yesterday that it's beginning to feel like Spring! All my rose bushes are bursting with buds, the yard is green, and the weather is warming up. It's so nice to see green again, especially since most of my winter was spent traveling around skiing in various places.

I'm an avid gardener and lover of gardens. I prefer to fill my house with flowers I've grown or with large fronds I've picked from around my house. Although, it's nearly impossible for me to not stop and buy flowers when I'm in the grocery store or near a florist. When I'm in NY, it's so amazing to see all the corner markets bursting with their fabulous array of sidewalk florals.

Happy Spring!

{house(wife): Kelly Bensimon's Hamptons house}

2009-04-02T14:21:00.001-07:00

I have an addiction to see inside peoples homes. It's a sickness, a passion, a love for design, and a curiosity to see how they are doing it. Here is Kelly Killoren Bensimon's Further Lane house in East Hampton. I found these pics on this blog dedicated to nosing around peoples pads, fun!

I love the Hamptons and have been spending my summers there for many years. We rented a great house in Southampton last summer and had the best time. Is it June yet?

SELLER: Kelly Bensimon
LOCATION: Further Lane, East Hampton, NY
PRICE: reported to be $10,900,000
SIZE: 5,800 square feet 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms (as per listing)
DESCRIPTION: ...On 1.2 glorious acres close to the ocean and surrounded by historic estate. Four bedrooms, four and one half baths, plus maid's quarters. Large living room with fireplace, country eat-in kitchen with attached family area and fireplace, large playroom, and master bedroom with fireplace and luxurious master bath. Grounds feature sunny, open lawn area and heated gunite pool. There is also a two car garage and a full basement.

If you don't know who Kelly Bensimon is, then you are clearly not watching the Real Housewives of NYC and SHOULD BE. I wonder if Kelly is aware of the fact that the housing market in the Hamptons has tanked with the economy and not only is she overpriced in an oversaturated market, but there couldn't be a worse time to sell. Ugh, sorry Kelly.

Click here for more info on The Real Housewives of NYC.

{book bargain: 30,000 years of art}

2009-04-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

I just ordered this book on amazon , received it yesterday, and felt compelled to share. I'm constantly updating my collection of books and have boxes at my door everyday.

Now, I'm no book snob, and am just always feeding my voracious appetite for words and pictures due to my constant need of stimulation. I find that stimulation in books.

This book, with 1072 pages and 1000 high-quality color illustrations is an absolute bargain, on sale for $32.97. If you love art, history, or just need a big important looking book for your coffee table... you will love this book!

{shop: Pierre Cardin brass/lucite lamps}

2009-04-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

I was flipping through the March Architectural Digest, and stumbled across a pair of these lamps below in the Discoveries by Designers pages. It was love at first sight for me, but alas, they were gone. Here they are for twice the amount I saw them for... I'm loving them less now.

c. 1970s desk lamp available here for $1400

Available on ebay here for about 4k

Pierre Cardin lamp available here on 1st Dibs for $1800

{hotel: SoHo House, NYC}

2009-03-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

I was in New York with my husband two weeks ago looking for a new apartment, and we stayed at the SoHo House again. I blogged about it here and showed pics of that room, which was the same layout, different furniture and design than this room- but I loved the decor of this room so much more.

The bar area is designed beautifully, but I have no pics.

Entry to sitting area and dining table

View to bedroom and loft bath

Love this loft bath!

The furnishings are amazing. This hide rug and industrial glass wall say it all.

Don't you love the mix of clean steel with the baroque headboard?

These pull out drawers in the bathroom are stocked with necessities in such a chic way!

*and p.s. the service was great this time. I think the last time I was there they busted me with my little dog and I had to send her to a friends house. Ugh, I was pissed!

{chef: Michael Rueggeberg}

2009-03-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

We have a yearly trip to Aspen, CO. that has become something we absolutely look forward to. One of the many reasons we love that trip is because we are so lucky to have daily meals prepared for us by chef Michael Rueggeberg.

In Aspen he is known as the local celebrity chef, and for good reason! His food never disappoints and he is a lovely and lively person. I hope to experience many more meals with him!

Michael has a new cookbook out that you can purchase on Amazon. It is filled with gorgeous ideas for your own dinner parties, incredible recipes, and inspiring tablescapes. This book is a must read for the avid chef/entertainer. *

He even sets a beautiful table for each meal. Incredible!

Michael and his lovely apprentice for the day.

* More about the cookbook:

All author's proceeds are donated directly to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation founded by its president, Evelyn Lauder, of the Estee Lauder family.

{artist: Dale Fairbanks}

2009-03-30T10:25:00.001-07:00

Another beautiful piece by one of my favorite artists, Dale Fairbanks. I not only love her work, but the stories she tells about each piece. Wonderful!

Flight of the Ridleys
Price: $12,000.00
Size: 96″ × 60″
Date: 2009
Medium: Oil on Canvas

The Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle is one of the smallest of the sea turtles and the most endangered. Under strict protection, the Kemp’s Ridley turtle is struggling back to recovery battling its primary enemy: the human and his activities.

Kemp’s Ridleys nest off of the coasts of Mexico, but one of the major habitats for this species is in the waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico, especially the Louisiana salt marshes.

The Kemp’s Ridley, the Loggerhead, and the Green Sea Turtle are all found in this area I call home. The Gulf Islands National Seashore fills our back-porch view across Santa Rosa Sound, and we join many in the grand effort to protect and safeguard these sea turtles who come to our seashore to nest in early May.

This painting has been brewing for several years…I am pleased the scrambling hatchlings brought it home.

http://www.dalefairbanks.com/

Click Here to see an older post about Dale's works

New Work: See Dale's online portfolio for details.

{shop: Sur La Mer in Spaces Magazine}

2009-03-30T09:58:00.001-07:00

Thank you Spaces Magazine for the wonderful feature in your magazine!

{travel: beautiful Aspen, CO}

2009-03-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

I just spent an amazing week in Aspen. It's our fourth March in a row, and the skiing and town just get better and better. The town is so progressive, and such a breath of fresh air (literally). Their FREE transportation to and from the mountain resorts are on Hybrid buses. The town is filled with great restaurants, designer shopping & adorable boutiques, lots of art galleries, and the spa at the St. Regis is amazing. It truly is one of my favorite towns.

Snowed in on March 26, 2009

S. Galena Street looking out to Durant Ave.

The next day, same view.

We rented a townhouse on Galena Street that was filled with bronze Remingtons. You can see the deer on the mantle, but also the parrot on a branch to the back left.

{book: Villa by John Saladino}

2009-03-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

ABOUT THE BOOK
John Saladino's powerful new book is nothing less than a master class in interior and garden design. Villa focuses on the stone ruin in Southern California that Saladino painstakingly refashioned into his dream house, and it shows how his principles and passions guided him through the five-year process of reconstruction, restoration, and decoration. With the aid of plans and drawings, as well as numerous photographs of the house — how it looked in the 1920s, shots of when he bought it, and snaps taken during reconstruction — Saladino traces the architectural work involved. Then, in a superbly illustrated tour of the house and grounds, he proves that he practices what he’s preached for more than 30 years. Juxtaposing light and dark, old and new, classical and modern, monumental and miniscule, hard and soft, Saladino creates the serenely timeless interiors and gardens that are his hallmark.

About the Author
John Saladino is a graduate of Notre Dame and the Yale School of Art and Architecture. He worked in Rome with the architect Piero Sartogo before returning to New York where he opened his own architectural and interior design practice over 35 years ago. It is now known as The Saladino Group Inc. In 1986 he started his own furniture company. He has won numerous interior design and furniture awards (including the prestigious Daphne Award) and he is on the Board of Directors of the John Soane Museum in London. His interiors regularly appear in international magazines including House Beautiful, House and Garden, the New York Times Magazine, Architectural Digest, Vogue Decoration and the World of Interiors.

You Absolutely Want To Buy This Book CLICK HERE

{charity: Wish Upon A Hero}

2009-03-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

Did you ever make a donation to an organization but wonder who it went to or if it ever made it to the people in need? Well, this website lets you help individuals who have wished for something as small as some vegetable seeds or as large as a new home.

I think this is one of the greatest ideas I have seen in a long time!

Click here to check out this incredible idea, and make someone's day.

{design: "the" YSL chair}

2009-02-26T22:13:00.001-08:00

Exhibition Hall of Paris's Grand Palais

The Yves Saint Laurent sale of the century, aka the biggest auction ever held in Europe, ended yesterday after netting an incredible $477 million in winning bids - including $28.3 million for a, dare I say... ugly, 90-year-old armchair crafted by famed Irish designer Eileen Gray.

Many other incredible pieces went up for auction, including two Qing bronzes as the star lots. Objections from the Chinese government and a legal challenge failed to halt their sale, and most likely added to the allure of obtaining them. I just have one question- what recession?

{ten things i love}

2009-02-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

There are things in life that you have, or long to have... some simple and some extravagant. These are the things I love, and have... and make my day to day that much more pleasurable.

A squishy velvet chaise to curl up and read on.

Marie Belle chocolates.

Not everyday, but as often as possible.

A pen and notepad onhand at all times.

I prefer a nice fountain pen and Smythson of Bond Street pads and agendas.

Perfume.
I hate telling people what I wear, but I will say I mix with oils and perfumes to make it my own personal scent.

Cashmere sweaters.
Every color, and almost everyday.

My books.
Old, new, cookbooks or design books. Life would be dire without them.

A gorgeous hot bath.
Every single day, I make it a point. I can't sleep without one. No bath is complete without Jo Malone oils and Laura Mercier products. To die for.

Succulents.

They are architectural and stunning, and grow beautifully in California. I have them all over my patio in LA.

DayNa Decker candles.

From the couture line, the scents will knock your socks off. The wood wick makes them crackle like a mini fireplace. Trust me on this, they are perfection (and I sell them in my store). Everyone is addicted.

Nikon DX Camera.

This camera can't take a bad picture. For those of you who take photography seriously, but don't have the time to be obsessive, this is the best camera.

{artist: Liza Lou}

2009-02-26T14:48:00.000-08:00

Homeostatis, 2005-2006

Artist Liza Lou beaded her way onto the New York art scene in 1996 by creating a real size kitchen in nothing but beads. We can't decide if she is crazy, or a genius- and with her MacArthur Genius Grant we'll go for the latter. With grant in hand, she moved to South Africa and didn't show in New York for six years.

In October of 2008, she showed her most critiqued installation to a less than thrilled art crowd, Maximum Security Fence. Her work began as painstakingly rebuilt bits of Americana (see the kitchen and trailer below) out of nothing but brightly colored beads. Her departure from where she began, to Maximum Security fence has been described as, "derivitive, soul-less" and a "politically correct commodity". Ouch.

Kitchen, 1991-1994

Kitchen, 1991-1994

Kitchen, 1991-1994

Trailer, 1999-2000

Backyard, 1994-1999

Backyard, 1994-1999

Maximum Security Fence, 2008

Personally, I enjoy it all and think that each artist should create work representing what they are feeling at that time, and maybe she wasn't feeling to colorful and cheerful during that time. With that type of critique, I wonder what would have made the critics happy... a ferris wheel or carousel covered in beads (not a bad idea... I'd like to see that one)? While I understand the anticlimactic nature of walking into the gallery to see a beaded fence and barbed wire, I'm still okay with it.

Security Fence, 2005

{dear...}

2009-02-26T14:07:00.001-08:00

...Gwyneth,

Don't listen to the naysayers who critique your website and newsletter, GOOP. I get it and love it- and people who read my blog love it, too.

I love the latest on Paris and places to go, stay, and eat. Absolutely fantastic suggestions. You are the only one out there who is giving me information on interesting places to go, food that tastes great and is good for you, interesting topics and theories about life, all of which I can use on a daily basis. Bravo!

My only suggestion, would be to improve the functionality of GOOP. It times out quite a bit and could use more info.

{inspiration book: Jen Catto's weekend house}

2009-02-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

My friend Jen Catto has been writing about travel and food for over eight years as an editor and media resource for tips and advice, travel trend information and data analysis, conducting TV and radio interviews in markets around the country, including NPR, NBC, The Wall Street Journal, Fitness, Redbook, Cooking Light, Cigar Afficionado, The New York Times and Wine Enthusiast. She has also served as a resource for Marie Clare, Cosmopolitan and Shape and was a travel expert for Martha Stewart Living on Sirius Radio before landing at Gourmet--the only epicurean magazine earnestly dedicated to travel. Here is her design inspiration book for her weekend house in upstate New York. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

Photo from absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com

Frederick Fekkai's upstate kitchen
love the cabinets. would use soapstone counters.
Photo from http://www.pointclickhome.com/

Floors, Dark wideboard floors - old Greek Revival
Fekkai's upstate house. Taupe walls throughout, ebonized (or more espresso-colored) old floors.
Photo from http://www.pointclickhome.com/

Steven Gambrel's 19th-c. cellar kitchen EXACTLY how I want to renovate the summer kitchen. Trestle table and all.
Photo from http://www.pointclickhome.com/

Garden, Barn and pool
Garden ideas
Photo from http://www.pointclickhome.com/

Olive walls, historic home
shutters painted same shade too
Photo from http://www.remodelista.com/

Living room, 3 windows, one curtain rod
Great tones too.

Photo from http://www.remodelista.com/

Kitchen, Pewter Aga stove
Soapstone counters, pewter Aga stove

Photo from http://www.aga-ranges.com/

Fine Paints of Europe - persimmon
LOVE this color for a front door on an historic house! Can't decide between this and the bible black option...

Photo from http://www.remodelista.com/

Garden, German beer garden table

Photo from http://www.remodelista.com/

Guest room 4, Antique Sheraton Field bed (maple)
Leonard's $3900

Photo from http://www.leonardsdirect.com/

Guest room 3, Cow parsley Cole & Sons wallpaper
Guest room 3, yellow room.

Photo from hollymaus.blogspot.com

Guest room 3, National Geographic collection

Photo from happymundane.blogspot.com

Kitchen floors, Farmhouse Provencal Tomette
Recycled antique French tiles for kitchen floor (or wideboards instead)

Photo from http://www.pavetile.com/

Living room, Hugo Guinness collection, John Derian

Kitchen, Astier serviceware, John Derian

Guest room 3: Canary yellow faux bamboo lamp
Best part is I already own this lamp, just need to paint it!

Photo from piecesinc.com

provencial kitchen

Photo from http://www.dominomag.com/

perfect door

kitchen

penguin books

Guest room 3: French faux bamboo desk

Photo from http://www.1stdibs.com/

toast welsh tapestry bedcover 220- BP
For blue and white guest room

Photo from http://www.toast.co.uk/

VELORBIS Dannebrog
Dutch-designed bike built in Germany

Photo from velorbis.com

Wessex Bathtub
The perfect clawfoot $1400

Photo from http://www.remodelista.com/

Bac Dinner Plate by Astier de Villatte at Tabula Tua
House serviceware $86

Photo from http://www.tabulatua.com/

Pair of Gustavian sofas
$23,000, need upholstery

Photo from http://www.1stdibs.com/

Guest room 2: Quadrille Alan Campbell
Love this Alan Campbell fabric for a revamped reading chair, room 2

Photo from quadrillefabrics.com

Urban Archaeology Bathroom

Photo from http://www.urbanarchaeology.com/

1965 Porsche 356C
Come to mama. (Ned's 35th b'day gift this year...shhh!)
Photo from http://www.sunsetclassics.com/

{design: incredible bathrooms}

2009-02-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

This incredible bathroom is in Ralph Lauren's Bedford estate. The white marble, fireplace, and gorgeous tub make this my number one pick. I'm loving that when you look at all these bathrooms, you can almost guess where they are located. Each tells a story about where they are and what the needs of the homeowner are. They all seem to have drawn inspiration from their surroundings, and incorporated them in the home, specifically the bathroom. It can be difficult to personalize a bathroom. Here are ten that did it right!

Nairobi

London

Los Angeles

Kohala Coast

Istanbul

Hollywood Hills

Hamptons

Colorado

Chicago

All photos Architectural Digest

{artist: Ed Burtynsky}

2009-01-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

I first saw Ed Burtynsky's art while visiting the Hamptons Designer Showhouse this summer. There were several pieces hanging in the living room (seen in the back left). Unfortunately, I did not make a note of his name, and it quickly left my mind. Fortunately, as I was scouring the latest House Beautiful magazine, there he was again, in a picture of the living room of the same showhouse. I featured this a while back, and you can see my pics here.

Nickel Tailings No. 34,Sudbury, Ontario 1996

Carrara Marble Quarries # 11,Carrara, Italy, 1993

Did you ever wonder where your table top, or marble floors came from? It's a miracle in itself how they can do this.

Iberia Quarries # 8,Cochicho Co., Pardais, Portugal, 2006

Oxford Tire Pile No. 8,Westley, California 1999

Shipyard #15,Qili Port, Zhejiang Province, 2005

I'm trying desperately to buy this one, but waiting for the gallery to call me back. Isn't it incredible? His work is so relevant today, and is beautiful and eye-opening at the same time.

Click Here for information on the artist

{design: vintage reclaimed wood floors}

2009-01-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

Historic Barnwood Oak

If you've ever replaced your floors, or even had them refinished- then you know how daunting of a task it can become. There are so many choices, colors, textures, new, old, engineered, reclaimed, etc. UGH. I've made some mistakes in my life when it comes to floors, but mistakes no more, I know what I need in my floors. For example, my store has engineered flooring due to the high traffic and high usage of the space. We are constantly sliding heavy things and need the floors to be scratch proof. However, in my main residence in LA- we made a hasty decision to have three bedrooms refloored while we were on our honeymoon, and came back to less-than-desireable floors. The moral of the story, don't leave town while your floors are being done unless you have them sign off that they will give you their first born if they are not done to your exact specs....

Coopersmark Oak Barrels

Fortunately, the rest of the house has gorgeous 85 year old Oak floors that were laid in 1923 when the house was built, so we just tolerate the other floors in the bedrooms. Which leads me to my cabin, which in case you didn't notice, has become a bit of an obsession. I've been determined to not settle on even the tiniest point, which has led me on a search throughout the country for the perfect wood floors. While we were in the Hamptons over the summer, we found a little shop in Bridgehampton with the floors I desperately wanted, but hence, could not be shipped across the country without quite an ordeal and large expense. We were also weary of ordering them, having them shipped, and then taking the chance of them not being exactly what we wanted. So, the search continued, until I found Vintage Wood Floors right here in Southern California.

Sample boards in the showroom

The view inside one of their warehouses

Old red barnwood from a dismantled 50+ year old barn in Wisconsin. I'm going to pick each piece myself (they said I could!) and have all my windows and doors trimmed in this.

This is a sample board of wood that we discussed as a possibility for the exterior horizontal finish with chinking. We decided it was too rustic and picked a different wood and finish. This is a great way to ensure you are getting exactly what you asked for and envisioned. If they can't provide you with a sample board, or you don't ask for one, then you just may not get what you want.... Clearly not an option for me.

To see more of their work and about their company click here

{shop: Deyrolle rises from the ashes in Paris}

2009-01-18T17:32:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite shops in Paris is the nearly two centuries old, Deyrolle. For lovers of natural history,curiosities, and a bit of the dramatic- this shop is housed in one of the most beautiful townhouses on rue de Bac. Amid exotic animals and birds, are shelves and drawers full of insects, fossils, and shells. Sadly, around this time last year, the store nearly burnt to the ground due to an electrical fire in the walls. The city rallied to pick up the pieces, with even some customers donating their purchases back to the store. In grand Parisian fashion, the store is back open, and is a MUST see.

46, Rue Bac75007 Paris, France

+33 1 42 22 30 07

http://www.deyrolle.com/

{design: reclaimed fireplace mantels & stone floors}

2009-01-16T17:07:00.001-08:00

$22,500

I've been on the hunt for some interesting pieces to incorporate into my cabin, and have stumbled upon some incredible finds. When my husband and I designed the new addition, we put in as many fireplaces as possible, and then were left with the task of making each one unique and special. These fireplaces are the hub and focal point of all five rooms they are in. Most importantly to me, was the library, my sanctuary. One the flip side of the library fireplace is the family room fireplace, so I wanted them to have a cohesive feel, but not the same mantel.

These antique French limestone mantels are pieces of art and can give a room that homey, rustic feel-while still keeping it sophisticated and simple. I just couldn't stand the thought of staring into a cookie cutter fireplace when we will be using it so much and with lots of friends and family. These are from Exquisite Surfaces in Beverly Hills. Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely think these are extravagant purchases, but these types of details will absolutely MAKE your renovation. You really can tell the difference, I promise.

$18,200

$32,500

$8,200

This flooring, rescued from a very old estate in France is absolutely gorgeous. They bring it back as a large slab and make 3 horizontal cuts in it to reveal three different grades of stone. This one is the first cut, and the most expensive at approx. $58 per s/f (based on over 500 s/f). My little toes were in sheer heaven walking on this!

{designer: Michael S. Smith gets the White House gig}

2009-01-15T09:22:00.000-08:00

Available for purchase on Amazon

I can't live without my design books, and Michael S. Smith's designs have always served as an inspiration for me. I use his books as design references all the time. MS knows how to mix just the right amount of what you'd expect, with a pop of what you wouldn't. Let's hope we get a taste of what he does for the Obama's with a nice glossy spread in Vanity Fair or such.

{design: reclaimed antique Indian doors}

2009-01-14T13:38:00.002-08:00

There are several dealers I work with who bring in reclaimed items from all over the world. I seem to gravitate towards really old wood and things that were used for many, many years and in seemingly ordinary ways. These wood double doors are from India, and are gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, art pieces. They range from 50 to over 100 years old, and can make the difference between a ho-hom entryway, and a knock-em-dead experience.

I've used a smaller set going into a guest bathroom, and am going to use one of these as an entrance into a guest bedroom. My contractors will have to cut down the wood frame a bit to make it fit into the width constraints of 48", but the height of about 9' will ensure that the dramatic effect of the doors is intact.

Whether you are working on a new house, or vamping up an older one- try to find some unique ways to make your house stand out from all the rest. You'll be glad you did!

{design: bathroom idea, fossil murals}

2009-01-14T09:40:00.000-08:00

I always seem to be bored with peoples bathrooms. I long for the unique and unusual, or at least, give me a beautiful piece of art. Right? Well, I'm designing another bathroom for my cabin, and have been searching high and low to find something that makes sense for a lakehouse guest bath, but that is a showstopper.

Well folks, here it is. These are fossil murals and mosaics composed of the sedimentary layers of the deepest part of Fossil Lake, an ancient Eocene lake in existence in Southwest Wyoming 45 to 50 million years ago. Now located 7,300 feet above sea level, the layers of sedimentary stone reveal the rich variety of life that thrived in and around the lake during the Eocene.

The spectacular Green River Formation specimens are quarried by a specially trained team who remove the fossils by hand, according to scientific specifications. Each digging season, approximately May through October, yields a fascinating collection of finds, including a wide variety of fishes, as well as the more rare palm fronds, turtles, crocodiles, and birds.

They are pricey, but how many people can say they have art that is 50 million years old? I have an appointment today in their showroom to see what I can find.

If you want more details about this fascinating find click here

{book: Building With Reclaimed Material}

2009-01-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

I was recently at a warehouse hunting down old barn wood for the floors of my cabin that is being renovated, and stumbled upon this book. It was a wonderful find for anyone that needs fresh ideas for old materials. You will love the pictures of how they mixed the woods with reclaimed marble, and stone. I found the book on Amazon.com. Let me know what you think.

{home: Olivia Palermo's Tribeca pad}

2009-01-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

If you don't know who Olivia Palermo is, then you either are not hanging with the young, socialite, Upper East Side crowd, or not watching MTV's The City. I heard about her a while back when a "fake" email was sent around claiming to be from Ms. Palermo, asking for entree' into the existing Socialite posse. Daddy came to the rescue on that one to clear her name, and she is back and better than before. Don't hate her because she is beautiful, thin, rich, young, got a great job with DVF... in fact, don't hate her at all... yet! Okay, I admit that her referencing her "deb ball" while acting like Manolo Blahnik was her best friend was a little puke worthy, but let's just hope that she can give the New York dose of reality needed to keep things spicy on The City.
Here are pics of her Tribeca apartment that her mother, designer Lyn Hutchings, decorated for her.

“I’m so excited to be living in my own home,” says socialite Olivia Palermo, surrounded by clothes racks, shoes and handbags in her colorful, 63-square-foot walk-in closet accented with a zebra-print rug. She used the Container Store’s Elfa system to transform the office space into her dream closet.

The ins and outs of Olivia's place

Moved In: 2007
Neighborhood: Tribeca
Layout: one-bedroom with an office space
Nearby: Nobu, Mr. Chow, the Odeon
Worth: One bedrooms with home offices in the building start at $4,150 a month

The sofa is a two-piece sectional sofa bed from Jennifer Convertibles. The eye-catcher in the room is an Hermès tray, a vintage find from the Hamptons, placed on top of a Carlyle Custom Convertible white-leather coffee table with nailheads.

The art deco chair was a housewarming present from her aunt.

Photos and some copy: The New York Post

{reasonable resolutions}

2009-01-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

I liked this article I saw online today. These were all resolutions that made sense and were possible to achieve. What do you think?

Change your life in 2009 with these 52 tips: Help yourself to these little changes, one for every week,...

By Liz Doup, Nick Sortal and John Tanasychuk

Dec. 31--The problem with New Year's resolutions is that they're way too big.

Lose 30 pounds! Work out every day of the week! Quit eating sweets!

We've been there and we know, big resolutions lead to big disappointments when our resolve starts to soften around Feb. 1.

So for 2009, we recommend a new tack: Start small. Very small.

With this in mind, here are 52 small tips. One for every week of the year.

We can't guarantee miracles. But we can guarantee that each small tip represents a practical and manageable change for the better.

[1] Drink diet soda instead of regular
[2] Keep a packed gym bag in your car at all times. That way you're always ready to work out.
[3] By noon tomorrow, do something that has you in a full sweat.
[4] When you go into the boss's office, balance on one leg. It will strengthen your core.
[5] Include two servings of fruit or veggies at every meal.
[6] Pick out a 5K or bike ride in your community and pay your registration fee well in advance. That way you won't drop out.
[ 7] Tell a friend that you did No. 6. Now that you opened your mouth, you gotta do it.
[8] Eat from a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.
[9] Don't skip breakfast. When we're hungry, we make bad choices.
[10] Eat slowly.
[11] Don't deny yourself a guilty pleasure. But have just a bite or two -- not the whole thing.
[12] Keep a food journal.
[13] Sit when you eat.
[14] Order one dessert and share it.
[15] Only drink alcohol on the weekends.
[ 16] If you work out in the evenings, don't stop at home from work. The mail, phone messages -- and refrigerator -- will still be there after your exercise.
[17] Use mustard instead of mayo.
[18] Keep in mind that one portion of meat is the size of a deck of cards.
[19] Eat fish twice a week. Omega-3 fatty acids are good for the heart.
[20] Bookmark SunSentinel.com/fit on your computer and read it during your lunch hour.
[21] Always have salad dressing on the side.
[22] Eat your last meal of the day at least three hours before bedtime.
[23] Curtail your treat consumption. If you're eating a bowl of ice cream every night, it's no longer a treat. It's a habit.
[24] Bake, grill, microwave or steam foods instead of frying
[25] Set little goals and reward yourself, but not with food.
[26] If you work out in the mornings, set your clothes out the night before so you'll get dressed by rote.
[27] When ordering in a restaurant, ask the server to bring you half of the meal and to set the other half aside to take home. That way, it won't even tempt you on your plate.
[28] Use olive oil on bread instead of butter.
[29] Substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream -- a healthier choice without compromising taste.
[30] Skip sugar-laden exercise drinks. You're probably not working out hard enough to need the electrolytes they provide. Instead, have watery fruits such as watermelon or grapes in addition to water for hydration.
[31] Choose egg whites instead of whole eggs.
[32] Taste food before adding salt.
[33] Trim all visible fat from meat.
[34] Use fat-free or 1 percent dairy products.
[35] Substitute sweet potatoes for white potatoes. More flavor and better nutrition!
[36] Gradually shift from eating white-flour pasta to whole-wheat by mixing half of each until you're accustomed to the flavor and texture of whole wheat.
[37] And on that note, eat whole wheat instead of white bread.
[38] Park far from an entrance and walk instead of driving around to find a closer spot. Saves gas, too.
[39] Rather than sitting and having a conversation, take a walk with a friend or loved one to talk about the day's events.
[40] Before you eat a calorie-laden treat, go to caloriesperhour.com to see how long you must exercise to burn the calories.
[41] Combine a small bit of protein with carbohydrates to keep your blood sugar from spiking and making you feel hungry. For example, add a few nuts to your fruit snack.
[42] Always keep nuts and dried fruit with you so you don't get hungry.
[43] Instead of eating whole almonds, eat slivers. You'll feel like you're eating more.
[44] Make working out a family affair. While your kids are on the ball field, jog around the park.
[45] Find workout activities your family can do together. Ride bikes, hike or jog.
[46] Alter your exercise routine to avoid getting bored. If you take an aerobics class one day, try yoga another.
[47] Get a workout partner so you encourage each other.
[48] Schedule your workout like an appointment so skipping the gym is not an option.
[49] Create a daily log of fitness activities with specific goals, then keep track of them.
[50] Check out several exercise CDs or tapes from your local library. Try them all and buy the ones you like.
[51] Go to your local track with a stopwatch once a month and time yourself for a full-out, one-lap sprint.
[52] When you're home watching TV, sit on a large exercise ball, rather than the couch, to tighten your core.

Stay with it.

Get professional advice on how to keep your resolution. SunSentinel.com/newyear

To see more of the Sun Sentinel or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sun-sentinel.com/. Copyright (c) 2008, Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

{simplify: getting back to basics}

2009-01-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

Did you make resolutions this year? Were they different than last years? I don't have the list I made for '08, but I remember what the theme was... work, work, and more work. Being a certified workaholic, that seemed like a good thing... and there were certainly some good things that came out of focusing on my store and growing my business. Unfortunately, the sacrifice that came with that deal was less time to focus on the other important aspects in my life.

My father always gave me the same advice, "Simplify your life. Downsize." I always thought he was being kind of dramatic, but the older I get, the more I understand his philosophy. His advice never felt more relevant than with this new year upon us. I'm a pretty practical girl, so downsizing still seems a little extreme, but getting back to basics by eliminating some of the extra clutter in my life makes a lot of sense. And by "clutter", I mean anything that is making your life more complicated than it needs to be. This might include putting some distance between "friends" who seem to take more than they add to your life, not accepting all invitations to parties or events, not staying late in the office, or volunteering to be on another committee. You would be surprised how much time these things can take away from the things you really want to be doing.

My resolution for 2009 is to focus on the things that make me happy and cut out some of the things that take away from my quality of life. It may sound simple, but sometimes having to say no can be very difficult. You just have to try to remember that when you say no to something or someone, you are saying yes to yourself. I'm looking forward to a year where I have more time to focus on the things that I enjoy, which will improve not only my life, but the lives of the people who mean the most to me.

Happy New Year! Make it about you.

{travel: and we're off...}

2008-12-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

... to check on the progress of Phase 2 renovations on the cabin on Donner Lake. I can't wait to show all the pics since we completely revised our workplan. Updates to come.

There is tons of snow on all the ski resorts, too! You'll find us on the mountains.

Happiest of holidays.

{travel: NY was blissful}

2008-12-22T08:07:00.000-08:00

The windows in Bergdorfs, Barneys, Bloomingdales, and Saks were grand, as usual. All the holiday lights, cold weather, and bustle were just what I needed to see to get me in the holiday spirit.

Unfortunately, once I got back to LA, it fizzled away. Not that it mattered, because the great news I bring home... is that my husband finally agreed to get an apartment in NY. We're officially becoming bicoastal in '09. Hurrah, NY! I'm coming home!

{travel: and we're off...}

2008-12-06T22:18:00.000-08:00

... to New York for the week. A peaceful blend of personal and business. We'll see what fun stuff to report back!

{TONIGHT, TONIGHT, TONIGHT: North Manhattan Beach Holiday Open House}

2008-12-03T10:13:00.001-08:00

{people: Dee Dee Jonrowe, Iditerod musher}

2008-11-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

The Iditerod is known as the "Toughest Race on Earth", which makes Dee Dee Jonrowe on of the toughest racers on earth. I had heard about the race, but never seen it, until it was on the Discovery Channel... I'm hooked. I'm especially hooked on this little woman, wearing pink, and cooing to her dogs! I've never seen anything like it! She's my new idol, and I'm her biggest fan... what an inspiration she is.

You can’t compare it to any other competitive event in the world! A race over 1150 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer. She throws jagged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast at the mushers and their dog teams. Add to that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills, and you have the Iditarod. A race extraordinaire, a race only possible in Alaska.

From Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast, each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover over 1150 miles in 10 to 17 days. In the midst of it for the last 26 years was Dee Dee, and keep watching, she's got a plan for '09, and it just may be a top finish for her.

DeeDee Jonrowe is the foremost female dog musher competing in the world today. She has both the fastest time of any woman in the history of the Iditarod and thirteen top ten finishes in her career. Her second place finish in 1998 was the fifth fastest Iditarod time ever recorded at that point. In addition to the Iditarod, DeeDee has competed and won most major dog sledding races throughout her career, including the Copper Basin 300, Klondike 300 and the John Bear grease sled dog marathon.

DeeDee ran her first Iditarod in 1980 and soon undertook the building of her own sled, a comprehensive breeding and training program for her dogs, and a rigorous physical fitness program for herself. The result is that by the time DeeDee and her team undertake the Iditarod in March of each year, they have logged almost 2000 miles of training together.

DeeDee has won numerous awards for the care of her dogs through her career, including the best-cared for team, the best dog care award (given by staff veterinarians), and the dog's best friend award. As her dogs are her top priority, she became a founding member of Mush with PRIDE, which provides responsible information of a dog's environment, exhibiting her commitment to set the standards for all aspects of sled dog care.

Her highly publicized battle with breast cancer that she began in 2002 has seen her become a tireless fundraiser. In 2003 she became any honorary chairperson for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, assisting the organization is its fundraising efforts as well. DeeDee's humanitarian efforts have been well-documented, being given the YWCA's "Alaska Woman of Achievement of Award", the most inspirational musher award, and even as the spokesperson for the National Girl Scouts Council and Winter Special Olympics.

DeeDee has been profiled in such media outlets as Sports Illustrated, Redbook, and Outside magazines. She is a published author, and is currently pending another book profiling her comeback from cancer to race again.

If you'd like to learn more about Dee Dee Jonrowe or Sponser her in the 2009 Iditerod, click here .

{cook: Gwyneth's Thanksgiving recipes}

2008-11-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is by far, my favorite holiday. The concept of coming together with friends and family to eat foods that have, for many, been in their families for generations, and to simply give thanks, is a very special concept to me.

I love these recipes from Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP emails. Always fun, young and healthy. I'm definitely trying the Pumpkin Ice Cream with Maple Whipped Cream! Let me know what you try and how it works out.

Happy Thanksgiving!
__________________________________________________

Stuffed Turkey Burgers

All the flavors of Thanksgiving in a burger – what could be better?

SERVES: 2 (makes two huge burgers) TIME: 20 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 pound ground turkey
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup Classic Bread Stuffing
2 hamburger buns
Cranberry Ketchup (see recipe below)
Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add the onions and rosemary and cook for about ten minutes, or until quite soft and sweet. Let the onion mixture cool a bit and then put in a large mixing bowl with the turkey, salt and pepper. Mush the ingredients together with a wooden spoon or your hands. Form a quarter of the mixture into a thin patty. Mound half of the stuffing in the center of the patty. Take another quarter of the mixture and form it into a patty and place on top, sealing the edges so that all the stuffing is snug inside. Repeat with the remaining turkey and stuffing.

Preheat your grill or broiler. Cook the burgers for five minutes on the first side, flip and cook for four more minutes or until the burgers are browned and firm. Cut the buns in half and grill alongside the burgers. Spread the buns with Cranberry Ketchup, tuck in the burgers and go to town.

Cranberry Ketchup

The ideal condiment for Stuffed Turkey Burgers.
SERVES: 2

TIME: 1 minute
2 spoonfuls of Cranberry Chutney
2 same-sized spoonfuls ketchup Mix together.
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Whole Roasted Turkey

This recipe is a smaller scale version of Martha Stewart’s accurately named Perfect Roast Turkey. It’s not afraid of butter.

SERVES: 12, with leftovers
TIME: 3 to 4 hours

1 14 pound turkey, giblets and neck removed and reserved for gravy (best to let the turkey sit out at room temperature for two hours before cooking)
coarse sea salt
1/2 cup melted butter + 4 tablespoons softened
1/2 bottle dry white wine
freshly ground black pepper
cheesecloth
optional: Classic Bread Stuffing or an onion, several cloves garlic, a lemon

Put your oven rack as low as it can go. Preheat the oven to 450º F.

Rub the turkey with a large handful of coarse sea salt. Rinse with cold water and pat completely dry with paper towels. Let it hang for a minute.

Get yourself a big piece of cheesecloth. Fold it in half and then in half again. Cut it so you have a four-layer square that’s roughly 15 x 15. Combine the melted butter and wine in a large bowl and soak the cheesecloth in it.

Back to the turkey. Stuff the cavity with some of your Classic Bread Stuffing (see recipe below) if you’d like. If not, sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Feel free to throw in a quartered onion, a few cloves of garlic and/or a halved lemon. Tie the legs together with a piece of twine. Rub the four tablespoons of softened butter all over the turkey and sprinkle the outside with plenty of salt and pepper. Set the turkey on a roasting rack inside of a large roasting pan. Squeeze out your cheesecloth (it should still be damp, just not dripping) and drape it over the turkey, completely covering the breast and most of the legs. Be sure to save the leftover butter and wine.

Roast the turkey for half an hour. Take it out of the oven and baste it (over the cheesecloth) with some of the leftover butter and wine mixture. Turn the oven down to 350º F. Let the turkey roast for another hour and a half, basting every half hour with the butter and wine and the juices from the bottom of the pan.At this point your turkey will have been cooking for two hours. Remove the cheesecloth and cook for another hour to hour and a half, still basting every half hour until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 180º F.Remove the turkey to a board and let it rest for at least half an hour before carving. Be sure to save everything in the bottom of the pan for gravy.

Thanksgiving Gravy

This is a classic gravy that really benefits from using all parts of the turkey – everything from the neck to the sticky browned bits at the bottom of the roasting pan.

Don’t throw any of that stuff away, it’s like gold!

SERVES: 12
TIME: 15 minutes

giblets and neck from turkey (discard the liver)
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large stalk celery, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon each finely minced fresh thyme, rosemary and sage
2 tablespoons flourreserved juice from your turkey pan (make sure to scrape up all the browned bits)
1/4 cup apple cider or juice
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

While the turkey is roasting, put the giblets, neck, carrot, onion and celery in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam that accumulates, lower the heat and let it simmer away while the turkey cooks. You should have at least 3 cups in the end.

While the turkey is resting, it’s gravy time. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the herbs and flour and stir to combine. Cook for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the reserved juice and browned bits from the turkey pan. The mixture should be fairly smooth – the goal is to avoid lumps of flour. Turn the heat up to medium-high, strain in your giblet broth and the cider and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is slightly thickened and the raw flour taste has cooked off (about ten minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cranberry Chutney

Cranberries are full of antioxidants and their recognizably tart flavor is a must at any Thanksgiving table. Luckily, making chutney couldn’t be easier and you can make it up to a week in advance.

SERVES: 12 (makes about 2 cups)
TIME: 15 minutes

3/4 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup water
4 cups fresh cranberries
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
grated zest of 1 small orange or tangerine

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and add the rest of the ingredients. Turn the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for about ten minutes or until thick. Let the chutney cool before serving.
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Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup, Orange and Spices

These sweet potatoes get sticky and sweet, full of great holiday flavor.

SERVES: 12
TIME: a little less than an hour, largely unattended
3 3/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled1 1/4 cup real Vermont maple syrup1/4 cup vegetable oil1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground cloves1 large orange3 star anises
Preheat the oven to 375º F.Cut each sweet potato in half horizontally and then cut each half into 1/3 planks (about four slices per half depending on the size of the sweet potato). Lay the sweet potatoes in a single layer in one large or two medium baking dishes (two 13 x 9 dishes will do the job).

Mix the maple syrup, vegetable oil, cinnamon and cloves together in a small bowl. Peel off four large strips of zest from the orange. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl with the maple syrup mixture. Pour this mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes, nestle in the strips of zest and the star anise. Bake for 45 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft and saturated.
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Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Maple Whipped Cream

A cool alternative (literally) to traditional pumpkin pie. If you can find pumpkin ice cream, by all means use that. If not, here’s a quick and easy way to make some using vanilla ice cream, good canned pumpkin and lots of wonderful spices. When you first make the mixture the spices might seem strong, but remember that their flavors get a bit muted when they’re ice cold. If you're doing Thanksgiving for a large crowd, make two of these. One is good for a small crowd and the ice cream alone is a simple, fun desert for a party of two.

SERVES: 6, very generously
TIME: 20 minutes + at least 3 hours in the freezer

1 cup of graham cracker crumbs (about 1 sleeve, ground in the food processor)
1 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons melted butter
1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened

1 can pureed pumpkin (or 1-3/4 cups fresh)
1/4 teaspoon each ground allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
Maple Whipped Cream (see recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 350º F.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a pie pan (why bother washing a mixing bowl?). Mix together with your fingers and then press evenly to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. It helps to press the mixture with the bottom of a small measuring cup. Bake for ten minutes or until light brown. Let cool while you prepare the filling.

In a large bowl, beat together the ice cream, pumpkin and spices. Spread evenly into the cooled pie shell and stick in the freezer for at least three hours before serving. When ready to serve, spread the top with Maple Whipped Cream.

Maple Whipped Cream

Maple syrup is one of the great North American ingredients and is one of the healthiest ways to sweeten things. I put it in nearly everything, including this heavenly whipped cream.

SERVES: enough for one pie
TIME: 5 minutes

1 cup heavy cream
2-3 tablespoons real Vermont maple syrup

Whip the cream using a standing mixer, handheld mixer or whisk (a bit of a workout!) until stiff peaks form. Whisk in maple syrup to taste.
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Roasted Turkey Breast with Molasses

Brining the turkey breast guarantees moist, tender meat and roasting it with plenty of stuffing, herbs and a healthy dose of molasses assures great flavor. Preparing a turkey breast isn’t just faster than preparing a whole turkey, it’s also much easier to cook and carve.

SERVES: 6, with leftoversTIME: 2 hours + brining
1 large boned-out turkey breast, skin on
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons coarse salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups Classic Bread Stuffing (before it’s baked)1 teaspoon each finely minced fresh thyme, rosemary and sage, mixed together
2 tablespoons butter, softened
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup molasses

Rub the turkey with about two tablespoons of coarse salt and rinse under cold water. Combine 1/2 cup of salt, brown sugar and a cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the salt and sugar are totally dissolved. Pour this mixture into a container large enough to hold the turkey breast, but something it won’t totally swim in (a spaghetti pot works well). Add about two quarts of cold water to the salt and sugar mixture and put the turkey inside the container. Add more water if necessary, enough to just cover the turkey. Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least four hours, up to overnight.

When you’re ready to cook the turkey, preheat the oven to 425º F.

Drain the turkey, rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut a slit across one side of the turkey as if turning it into two long pieces, but don’t cut all the way through. Open the turkey breast like a book and evenly distribute the stuffing. Fold it back together. Flip it and gently loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers and spread the herbs over the meat, under the skin. Tie the whole breast back together snugly with four or five pieces of kitchen twine. Spread the top with butter and sprinkle with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper.

Put the turkey in a big roasting pan, roast for 30 minutes then turn the oven down to 350º F. Roast for an hour. Remove the turkey from the oven and brush it with half the molasses. Bake for another ten minutes, remove it and brush it with the remaining molasses. Return it to the oven and bake for another five to 15 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 180º F. Move the turkey to a board or platter and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Pour about half a cup of hot water into the roasting pan and scrape up all the browned bits – make sure to save all this juice for your gravy!
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Classic Bread Stuffing

Generous on the onions and fennel seeds, this stuffing is hearty and satisfying but not soggy or heavy as stuffing can sometimes be. Made with good vegetable stock, it’s vegetarian-friendly.

SERVES: 12, with leftovers
TIME: 2 hours, a lot of which is completely unattended

15 cups of 1/2˝ bread cubes (I usually have challah, wholegrain and ciabatta in my bread bin)
1/4 cup butter + 1 tablespoon cut into small pieces
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 very large onion, very finely diced (roughly 2 1/2 cups)
2 stalks celery, very finely diced (roughly 1/2 cup)
2 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds3/4 teaspoon celery seeds
2 generous tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 cups high-quality vegetable stock, divided

Preheat the oven to 300º F. Spread the bread cubes out on two cookie sheets and bake for about ten minutes or until a bit dried out, not browned.

Meanwhile, heat the 1/4 cup of butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the onion, celery, fennel and celery seeds, rosemary, salt and pepper and sweat the mixture for 20 minutes, keeping the heat low enough so that the vegetables don’t color – you just want them to get soft and sweet. Turn off the heat, add the parsley and let the mixture cool for about ten minutes in the pan. Add the bread cubes and 2 cups of stock; stir to evenly distribute. Let the mixture sit for about an hour to let the flavors really get into everything (now’s a good time to work on your other Thanksgiving dishes!).

Reserve two cups of the stuffing for the turkey if desired.

Set the oven to 350º F. Put the stuffing into an ovenproof baking dish (you could even leave it in your sauté pan if it doesn’t have plastic handles – one less thing to wash!). Pour over the remaining stock and dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.
__________________________________________________

Greens with Goat Cheese, Walnuts and Dried Cranberries

Endive, arugula and radicchio are easy to get all winter long and make a great combination. The dressing, one of my favorites, has maple syrup which balances the bitterness of the leaves. The dried cranberries, goat cheese and walnuts make it perfect for any festive occasion or any day for a tasty light lunch.

SERVES: 12
TIME: 10 minutes

3 small cloves garlic, pushed through a press
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons real Vermont maple syrup
1/3 red wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 large heads of endive, washed, chopped
1 1/3 large head radicchio, washed, chopped
4 large handfuls arugula, washed
1 1/3 cup goat cheese
3/4 cup walnuts, broken into pieces
3/4 cup dried cranberries

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, Dijon, maple syrup and vinegar. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Combine the greens in a large salad bowl. Dress with about two thirds of the dressing. Divide the greens on eight plates and scatter over the goat cheese, walnuts and dried cranberries over the greens. Drizzle each salad with a bit of the leftover dressing.
__________________________________________________

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

These get deliciously sweet and crispy as they cook. I have converted many a sprout cynic with this great winter side dish.

SERVES: 12
TIME: 20 minutes

2 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1/3 cup olive oil
a few generous pinches of coarse sea salta healthy drizzle of your best, best extra virgin olive oil (I covet the bottles I get from Armando Manni in Tuscany)
1 lemon, halved

Steam the sprouts for 7 minutes or until just tender. Let them cool a bit and then cut each in half, lengthwise.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the Brussels sprouts in a single layer, cut-side down (in batches if necessary). Leave them for 4-5 minutes, allowing them to brown thoroughly and evenly – don’t give into the temptation to stir and toss them! Keep an eye on them though – the key is to have the flame high enough to brown them but low enough not to burn them. When they’ve browned, flip each one and let the other side get color, an additional three minutes or so. Remove to a serving platter, sprinkle with the salt, drizzle with your fine extra virgin olive oil and squeeze the lemon over, trying to get a bit of juice on each one. Delish.

{news: The Beach Reporter article 11.20.08}

2008-11-21T07:25:00.001-08:00

North Manhattan Beach works on improvement plans
by Julie Sharp

With faded painted crosswalks and sidewalk trees that look more like nature’s leftovers, the North Manhattan Beach business district has been longing for improvements and more city attention, and shop owners hope to get both with their new plan.

A newly installed seven-member Business Improvement District advisory board voted Nov. 12 to set monthly meetings and approved task-assigned subcommittees that will plan and budget projects from an approximate $400,000 savings account. This money is from a parking improvement fund which dissolved in 2004 after it was determined that acquiring more parking for the area was a futile goal, since there is no space. The district, which stretches along Highland Avenue from 33rd Street to 43rd Street in addition to a portion of Rosecrans Avenue, also has an annual fund of about $18,000 to $19,000 derived from business fees to spend at its discretion.

“We are learning how to present our ideas to the city. We can’t just have an idea, it has to be an organized plan,” said BID Chairman Melissa Enriquez Roy.

Members of the advisory board represent a wide range of businesses in the area from Upper Manhattan Lounge and Baja Sharkeez to Sur La Mer and Volk’s, and also includes one member who is a resident. It was determined by existing BID board members that a resident board member would be a key addition since the City Council values resident input. Enriquez Roy, who has now been chairman for about one year, pointed out that researched, thorough plans rather than just good ideas will also get things moving with the city.

“In order to get things done and approved by the city, we need polished proposals with information so they can make decisions,” said Enriquez Roy.

Things have already started to happen for North Manhattan Beach and in an effort to hasten the area’s slow image evolution, the BID decided to change the area’s name in December 2007 from El Porto or North End to North Manhattan Beach.

Part of the dissolved parking fund savings account, about $20,000 of it, has already been spent on 20 North Manhattan Beach banners which were placed along Highland Avenue traffic poles from 33rd Street to 43rd Street and a portion of Rosecrans Avenue.

Just recently, on Nov. 18, the City Council approved the purchase of 36 trashcans and recycling cans for practical reasons and the area’s beautification — much like the ones along The Strand and in downtown Manhattan Beach.Other desired areas of improvement, as laid out in the BID work plan, include crosswalks, landscaping and the possibility of valet parking along with additional signs and branding of the North Manhattan Beach logo.

“Crosswalks are our No. 1 priority here, for safety,” said Enriquez Roy. She said they are currently working with the city and coming up with crosswalk design proposals. City staff informed the BID that the stamped tile crosswalks in downtown Manhattan Beach are not an option because they have turned out to be impractical and difficult to maintain.

Figuring out how to spend the money is not the hard part, the decision lies with the maintenance costs. “There are a lot of things we can do with the money we already have, but it has to work financially to maintain it. We have to be able to afford the upkeep,” said Enriquez Roy.

One of the first maintenance decisions for the BID is the approximate $8,000 annual cost for regular sidewalk power washing. The city agreed to pay for and arrange a Highland Avenue trial-run washing and the board will determine the cost benefit of such a service.Other tasks in the BID work plan include a tree replacement plan; discussion included using unified queen palm trees, like the ones recently planted in front of the new Upper Manhattan Lounge.

A valet parking service will also be explored by a BID subcommittee, along with the possibility of getting the tourist transporter, Ocean Express, to once again make a stop in North Manhattan Beach.

{drink: a holiday cocktail}

2008-11-20T08:46:00.000-08:00

I saw this recipe in a magazine, ripped it out, and promptly brought it to a bartender. Voila, The Candy Cane.

Rumplemintz

Bailey's

Skyy Vanilla

Candy-Cane Whipped Cream

Crushed Candy Canes

{hotel: Montage Resort, Laguna Beach}

2008-11-20T08:15:00.000-08:00

If you haven't been to The Montage yet, add it to your list, right up at the top. We love going to this little slice of heaven, not only because it's only an hour drive, but because they have mastered the art of the hotel experience.

The spa, heavenly (and number one in the country). The restaurants, divine. The service, impeccable. Oh, and for those of you who can guage the quality of a hotel by their gift shop, they have Calypso, Milly dresses, Mystique sandals, Elizabeth & James tops, cashmere sweaters and wraps, fabulous men's clothes, crocodile bags, jewelry to die for... I was in heaven, and then hell when my hubby saw the bill.... Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me....

We stayed in an Ocean Front 1 bedroom Bungalow (rm 7140) and it was perfect. Ground floor with a yard overlooking the gorgeous blue ocean. Maxie was in heaven. We're still dreaming of Laguna...

Master Shower

Master Bath Tub

Bedroom

Guest Bathroom

Living Room

View from our back patio

Living Room w/fireplace

Master with another patio to the ocean

This was the day after all the fires started burning. That is not a cloud, it's smoke.

The walking path on the ocean, incredible.

My honey's.

{travel: and we're off...}

2008-11-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

... to the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach. My husband will be treating me to a birthday weekend of spa, tennis, poolside cocktailing, and undisturbed reading time. Thanks honey!

No posts until I'm back on Monday.

{hotel: SoHo House, New York}

2008-11-09T19:11:00.000-08:00

My husband travels to New York all the time for work, and since I no longer have my apartment there, we stay in hotels. I love checking out all the new and cool hotels, but one we stay in the most is the Soho House. We love this room, called The Playpen, which is one of their most spacious rooms. Did you watch the Sex and the City episode where the girls are on the rooftop pool and trying to not get kicked out for not being members... this is that hotel.

Rooms are great, service & attitude could use a makeover.

{home: Ox Pasture Estate, Southampton, NY}

2008-11-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

A smile inevitably creeps up on me when I let my mind drift off to the Hamptons. There is no purer or committed real estate love for me. Everyone knows that Gin Lane is the real deal in luxury addresses. Here's a classic that is currently on the market for $67.5 million.

Apparently lightning can strike twice, or at least as far as the price point on Hamptons real estate. For anyone who missed the opportunity to buy the $65 million spread on Gin Lane this spring, a pedigreed Ox Pasture estate “Linden” hits the market at $67.5 million.

Tim Davis of Corcoran who has the exclusive listing along with Felicitas Kohl who describes the property as “like having your own resort.” The 25,000 square-foot 12 bedroom, 14 full and 4 half bath house sits on 9 acres in Southampton Village where recessions need not apply. Forget pesky things like traffic; you can fly into the village helipad. Even Marders can’t accomplish landscaping like this with centuries old trees and mature rose gardens. Your five star resort comes with an outdoor and indoor pool, grass tennis court, paddle court, fitness room, carriage house, and wine cellar (wine not included). And just as everything old can be new again, the house originally constructed in 1902 has undergone a major 3-year renovation to update it to its youthful self with modern amenities.

It has often been rumored that listing agents have a great deal of power over who ultimately gets these prized homes. A few high-end agents who felt their “price is no object” clients didn’t get a fair shake at the Gin Lane property may be redeemed with the chance to win this trophy home. Ironically, although the architect, Grosvenor Atterbury, was known for designing lavish weekend homes for wealthy industrialists when he was at McKim, Mead & White, he is most famous for developing a construction method using standard pre-cast panels, the start of the pre-fab movement.

With the value of the US dollar plummeting and Wall Street more moody than a woman with PMS, the question for this estate might be, “How much is that in Euros?”

copy plum tv

{politics:one huge step backward}

2008-11-06T09:11:00.000-08:00

The passing of Prop 8 is discrimination and ignorance at its ugliest. I'm absolutely disgusted that in our society, there could possibly be people who just don't get it. Obviously, there are just enough of those closed minded, closet discriminators to lead us down the path of the self righteous. It's a sad, sad day for me. Some interesting info about what happened below in this Time article.

Nov. 4 may have been a joyous day for liberals, but it wasn't a great day for lesbians and gays. Three big states - Arizona, California and Florida - voted to change their constitutions to define marriage as a heterosexuals-only institution. The losses cut deep on the gay side. Arizona had rejected just such a constitutional amendment only two years ago. It had been the first and only state to have rebuffed a constitutional ban on marriage equality. In Florida, where the law requires constitutional amendments to win by 60%, a marriage amendment passed with disturbing ease, 62.1% to 37.9%.

And then there was California. Gay strategists working for marriage equality in this election cycle had focused most of their attention on that state. Losing there dims hopes that shimmered brightly just a few weeks ago - hopes that in an Obama America, straight people would be willing to let gay people have the basic right to equality in their personal relationships. It appears not.
The California vote was close but not razor-thin: as of 10 a.m. P.T., with 96.4% of precincts reporting, gays had lost 52.2% to 47.8%. Obama did not suffer the much-discussed "Bradley effect" this year, but it appears that gay people were afflicted by some version of it. As of late October, a Field Poll found that the pro-gay side was winning 49% to 44%, with 7% undecided. But gays could not quite make it to 49% on Election Day, meaning a few people may have been unwilling to tell pollsters that they intended to vote against equal marriage rights.

Gays are used to losing these constitutional amendment battles - as I said, Arizona was the only exception - but gay activists cannot claim they didn't have the money to wage the California fight. According to an analysis of the most recent reports from the California secretary of state, the pro-equality side raised an astonishing $43.6 million, compared with just $29.8 million for those who succeeded in keeping gays from marrying. The money the gay side raised is surprising for two reasons: first, the cash-Hoover known as the Obama campaign was sucking down millions of dollars a day from the nation's liberals. Many gays expected it to be difficult to raise money to fight Proposition 8 and its plan to outlaw same-sex marriage from Democrats eager to give to Obama and to the outside 527 groups supporting him. As recently as August, one of the nation's top gay political givers told me that he expected the gay side to raise no more than $25 million.

But a series of high-profile Hollywood donations, as well as a frantic, nationwide push for gays to get out their checkbooks, turned out to be quite successful in the short term. East Coast gays had been lulled into inaction by the Oct. 10 Connecticut Supreme Court decision granting gay couples the right to marry - a decision that hadn't required gays to write a single check. But gay people in Los Angeles and San Francisco cajoled and shamed their Eastern friends into opening their wallets. Thousands of California gay couples got married in the past few weeks, and I didn't see a single invitation to a gay ceremony that didn't include a plea to donate to the pro-equality campaign in lieu of buying wedding gifts.

Still, even though gays were fighting to preserve a basic right, it was the anti-equality side in California that seemed to have the most fervor. A symbolic low point for the gay side came on Oct. 13, when the Sacramento Bee ran a remarkable story about Rick and Pam Patterson, a Mormon couple of modest means - he drives a 10-year-old Honda Civic, she raises their five boys - who had withdrawn $50,000 from their savings account and given it to the pro-8 campaign. "It was a decision we made very prayerfully," Pam Patterson, 48, told the Bee's Jennifer Garza. "Was it an easy decision? No. But it was a clear decision, one that had so much potential to benefit our children and their children."

You could argue that marriage equality has little to do with children, but Patterson seemed to speak to Californians' inchoate phobias about gays and kids. On the Friday before the Bee story appeared, a group of San Francisco first-graders was taken to city hall to see their lesbian teacher marry her partner. Apparently the field trip was a parent's idea - not the teacher's - but the optics of the event were terrible for the gay side. It seemed like so much indoctrination.
That news came around the same time the pro-amendment forces were running a devastating ad showing a self-satisfied San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom shouting wild-eyed at a rally that same-sex marriage was inevitable "whether you like it or not." The announcer then said darkly, "It's no longer about tolerance. Acceptance of gay marriage is now mandatory." Many fence sitters were turned off by Newsom's arrogance; blogger Andrew Sullivan attributed mid-October polls against the gay side to the "Newsom effect."

Gays came back in some polls, but they couldn't pull out a win. Part of the reason is that Obama inspired unprecedented numbers of African Americans to vote. Polls show that black voters are more likely to attend church than whites and less likely to be comfortable with equality for gay people. According to CNN, African Americans voted against marriage equality by a wide margin, 69% to 31%. High turnout of African Americans in Florida probably help explain that state's lopsided vote to ban same-sex weddings.

Gays did win some victories yesterday. A new openly gay member of Congress, Jared Polis of Colorado, will go to the House in January. And thanks in part to the Cabinet, the group of [a {e}]lite gay political donors I wrote about recently, Democrats took the New York senate. The entire New York legislature is now in Democratic hands, and New York's governor, David Paterson, is one of the nation's most eloquent pro-marriage-equality representatives. He is also, by the way, African American. Perhaps he can help bridge the gap between gays and blacks that widened on Nov. 4.

View this article on Time.com

{travel: Villa Cypress, Lake Como, Italy}

2008-11-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

You will need to sit down for this one and savor every morsel of the luxuriousness of it all. I have the most wonderful travel agent who sent me these pics today. I had to share. Email me if you want her information. She'd be happy to book this trip for you! It's approximately $100,000 euros per week.

Nearest town: Lenno
Persons: 15
N° of bedrooms: 8 (7 doubles, 1 single)
N° of bathrooms: 8

Location:
Nestled on the waters edge of Como’s western shore is this unique estate which is only accessible by boat so affording complete privacy. The estate comprises 3 hectars of superb gardens with manicured lawns, towering sculpted cypress trees and an array of plants and shrubs. There are walkways throughout the grounds and many comfortable seating areas scattered throughout, ideal for a quiet read of for simply enjoying the superb lake views. This fully staffed private estate offers the very heights of luxury and privacy in an outstanding location.

Description:
The estate comprises three houses plus staff quarters. There is an all weather floodlit tennis court with viewing platform and a superb L shaped 3.5 x 12 x 8 meters heated infinity pool with waterfall. Beside the pool are two separate sunbathing areas.

For dining outside there are many options, dinner can be taken beside the lake or perhaps breakfast on the beautiful shady terrace to the rear of the main house overlooking the gardens and cloistered seating area. The entire property has undergone extensive renovation and has been decorated and furnished to the highest standard.

The main villa is exquisite, with marble and parquet flooring, a sweeping staircase and a clever blend of modern and period pieces creating an elegant, comfortable and welcoming home. From the spacious entrance hall you enter the drawing room with comfortable sofas and feature fireplace. From here you can access the front and rear terraces and admire the superb lake views. There is an elegant formal dining room which can seat up to twenty guests. Leading off the dining room is the butlers pantry, the domain of Stephen you personal butler and from here stairs lead down to the semi professional kitchen where chef will create mouth watering meals during your stay and is happy to provide cooking lessons or perhaps a pizza evening for children.

On the first floor there are four bedrooms, the master with private office/study and en-suite bathroom and three further double bedrooms with en-suite bathroom. The bed linen is of the finest quality and most are 2 metre beds. The linen and towels are changed daily and bathroom toiletries are from Chopard. Every detail has been thought of and everything shows impeccable taste. On the top floor there is a media room with film and CD library, this is run from a computer system and linked to the plasma screen televisions and DVD players that you will find in all rooms and there are also I-Pod docks throughout the property and music in all areas. Also on the first floor you will find a family suite with double bedroom and single bedroom, private sitting room and shower room and there is an additional shower room also on this floor.

Villa two, located beside the pool area, contains the fully equipped gym, a service kitchen for the pool, showers and cloakrooms and the home cinema.

At the far end of the estate is a two bedroom guest cottage, again beautifully decorated, where there are two double bedrooms with en-suite bathroom, a sitting room and kitchen/ breakfast room. The partially covered private terrace has an outside dining area and comfortable seating and again you have the wonderful lake views.

{sailing lesson: 2, the mulligan}

2008-11-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

We gave it our best shot, we really did. The conditions weren't terrible, but certainly not good. 5 foot seas with a two foot chop on top, winds were 17-19 knots, and there were some bigger waves scattered in there. All in all, it lasted about 45 minutes, and then I asked to be brought back in.

This lesson was to teach us how to turn the boat around, with the five steps. I did all that I was asked, while my husband got to steer the boat, and sing "I'm Popeye the sailor man, toot toot." Captain Dan was not impressed. Captain Dan nicely told us that we would need to repeat lesson two.

Leaving the safety of the harbor, it looked fine and dandy out there

My husband looking sailor chic leaving the marina.

We came home and complained about how we're not used to having to work so hard to go boating, as we sat on the sofa, still trying to keep our lunch down.

{artist: patricia van essche}

2008-10-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

I recently commissioned some pieces of art for my store Sur La Mer , and I just got them back. Artist Patricia van Essche of PVE Design did a beautiful job and I am excited to use them in my new ad campaign. Thanks Patricia!

Click Here for more information about the artist

{GOOP: eat right, sleep well, and a little exercise}

2008-10-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

Healthier By The Day

You want to feel healthier, everyone does. You want more energy, a better body and the ability to do what you do better. Like most other people, you’ve listened to the experts, read their advice and never been sure which of it applied to you or was really worth doing. That’s because the things that help you get healthier are usually unique to you. There is no universal plan for better health, no best diet, workout routine or way of solving problems. As unique as you are, there are some guidelines you can follow that will help improve your health:

Start with sleep. Sleep eight hours or more each night. Do what you have to do to get to sleep; there are plenty of natural agents that work. Try them: herbs (valerian), tea (chamomile), amino acids (tryptophan or hydroxy-tryptophan) and vitamins (magnesium and B6). These can be powerful sedatives and work just as well as prescription agents without the risks. Sleep plays a powerful role in determining your appetite, energy and attitude. Sleep better for two weeks before changing your diet. Then try eliminating “white” foods, those that are made with sugar, white flour and milk. If you eliminate them one at a time, start with flour, then eliminate dairy and then sugar. Sugar is easier to quit after a few weeks of no other “white” stuff. Remember high fructose corn syrup and dextrose are sugar by another name. Give yourself about two weeks to get used to each before eliminating the next one.

Exercise regularly. I know you want to but you don’t have the energy to do it. Sleep eight hours for two weeks, then start eliminating “white” foods. After two weeks of sleeping and eating better, you’ll have the energy to exercise. Begin as you like. If you are totally out of shape, start by walking 15 minutes a day and add a minute every day for the first month. At the end of a month, you’ll be up to 45 minutes a day, which should make you ready for whatever more strenuous form of exercise you want to try. Experiment with them all to see what works best for you and stick with it.

Police your thoughts and deal with your feelings constructively. Most of the background chatter in our mind is worrying, judging, criticizing, defending and complaining. Catch yourself and create a distraction by redirecting your thoughts toward the things that you are grateful for and optimistic about.All these are free (okay, except if you have to buy the sleepers) and all are within your ability. No professionals required. By doing them you will create a customized health plan that will surely result in you getting healthier by the day.

Christian Renna, D.O. LifeSpan Medicine, 2008

Dr. Christian Renna is a nationally recognized expert in the field of contemporary preventive medicine and the founder of LifeSpan Medicine clinics.

Another Inconvenient Truth

The human body is a self-healing, self-renewing, self-cleansing organism. When the right conditions are created, vibrant well-being is its natural state. We have departed from the ways of nature and live under less than natural conditions. Like global warming, the toxicity of our planet is undeniable. I call it "Another Inconvenient Truth." The air we breathe, the water we drink and shower with, the foods we eat, the cosmetics we use and the buildings we live and work in, are loaded with toxic chemicals that alone or in combination cause disease, suffering and even death. When we remove these obstacles and add what is lacking, our bodies bounce back into health as if by magic. This is natural, common-sense medicine, enabling the body to heal, regenerate and even rejuvenate itself.

With this in mind, if you live in a modern city and want to stay healthy, there are two fundamental practices to follow: detoxification cleansing and eating real foods, just as nature intended food to be.

1) Detoxification cleansing:

Approximately eight hours after eating our last meal the processes of digestion, absorption and assimilation are completed and the body enters into detoxification mode, a function we don’t think about often. A healthy body, used to eating natural foods, needs around four hours to cleanse and detoxify itself from all the waste products of normal metabolism. This is without counting the toxic overload of modern life. It’s a really good practice to fast every day for 12 hours after our last meal: eight hours to complete food processing plus four to allow for detoxification. So if your last meal is at 10pm, don’t eat anything before 10am. Breakfast should be exactly that, break-fast, or breaking the fast. This would be enough in a toxin-free world. Since that is not the case, we should periodically make an extra effort to go deeper and catch up with the cleaning, as it were. This is where detox cleansing programs come into play. There are many programs available today based on different systems and philosophies of healing. Some are great, some dangerous. Make sure someone who understands and has experience guides you.

How often and for how long one should engage in detox programs depends on how clean one is to begin with. In addition to all of the above, one should educate oneself as to how to keep our environment toxin-free. Water and air filters, eco-cleaning utensils, chemical free cosmetics, green architecture, alternative fuel vehicles….

2) Real foods:

We used to pick our food from trees and the earth, and hunt or fish the rest. Now we buy it in modern supermarkets. Ninety percent of the products in supermarkets come in some kind of container. In order to extend shelf life, these food-like products are loaded with chemicals, preservatives and conservatives that kill bacteria. Most products also contain additives to give them the color, smell, taste and texture that will tempt us to buy and eat them. The remaining 10% of what is edible – the produce, the fish, the meats and the dairy products – are loaded with chemicals as well. All of these chemicals cause havoc inside our bodies, being the most intimate source of toxins for us since we throw this mixture in our bellies and soon enough it passes into our blood.Returning to a more natural way of eating is the best way to avoid disease and premature aging. It also keeps the weight off. Buy organic foods, shop in your local farmer’s markets. Increase the consumption of vegetables, fruits, seeds, grains and legumes. More raw foods are better for health (enzymes remain intact), the environment (smaller carbon footprint) and the pocket (lower utility bills).To round things up, don’t forget to nourish your soul. The future of medicine is “no medicine.” If we return to a more natural life, our bodies become the best doctors.

With love,
Alejandro Junger, MD

Dr. Alejandro Junger is a cardiologist who practices integrative healing. He currently sees patients in his private practice at the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York and, in 2008, he was named the Director of Integrative Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital.

Holistic Detox

My journey with nutrition came from looking after performance artists and dancers who were trying to find a healthy balance between diet, looking good and having enough energy to perform. I use the age-old wisdom of ayurvedic medicine, the holistic approach of osteopathic medicine and basic common sense to help patients realize how to achieve their own optimum health. The older, more natural forms of medicine work predominantly on promoting and improving the body’s ability to eliminate waste (detoxification) and also towards finding balance and well-being. My motivation is towards not only the nutritional needs of a healthy body, but also on encouraging better sleep patterns, ways of coping with stress and reducing its effects on the body, and teaching individuals how to care for themselves and make healthy lifestyle choices: the true mind-body-spirit sense of health and well-being.

My first bestselling book, Joshi’s Holistic Detox explains in more detail the fundamentals of my detox and dietary program, but its essence lies in:

Avoiding all refined carbohydrates including white flour and sugarAvoiding all foods with chemical preservatives and flavorings including foods that contain toxic elements (such as heavy metals, e.g. tuna)
Drinking at least one to two liters of pure water daily to help the body clean and detoxify itself
Eating fruit and vegetables that are ripe, fresh and as free of chemical fertilizers as possible
Minimizing tea, coffee, dairy products, and alcoholBoosting your health and vitality with a diet rich in organic, ripe fruits and vegetables.
Eating protein such as white fish or white meats with each mealSleeping at least eight hours a night and practicing some gentle exercise, yoga or meditation every day to reduce the effects of stress on the body.

Neish Joshi, Joshi Clinic

Dr. Neish Joshi is the founder of the Joshi Clinic in London, and has developed a unique approach in his practice, embracing centuries-old Indian traditions, ancient Ayurvedic wisdom and a wide variety of other healing philosophies from all over the world with both eastern and western approaches to orthodox medicine.

All photos and copy: GOOP

{design: sunken tennis courts, so chic}

2008-10-29T17:09:00.001-07:00

I noticed a very cool trend while in the Hamptons, the sunken tennis court. It is my new favorite thing.

The old style. While I still think it's fabulous, it's not chic.

{design: The Hampton Designer Showhouse}

2008-10-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

I'm just getting around to posting this... and I think it's worth the wait. There are no cameras allowed in most showhouses, but I managed to sneak some pics anyway. The blurry ones are because I was about to be busted by a cranky docent.

STATS:The house is in Sagaponack (59 Farm Court), and listed at $12.5 Million. South of the highway. 11,430 sq.ft., complete "green" energy home (solar & geo-thermal), 7,930 sq ft first & second floors- 8 bedrooms,3 with secluded private decks, 9.5 bathrooms, 5 fireplaces. Below, 3,500 sq ft of gym, sauna, steam room, and media room. Tennis court, pool and spa.

There are many things I liked and disliked about this house. Location, a ten. Layout, a seven. Interior Design, well... you be the judge. Not particularly my favorite showhouse, but there were a few interesting things.

Amazing pool area and tennis court

Georgeous kitchen outfitted with Electrolux appliances and Christopher Peacock cabinetry.

One of the few bedrooms I actually liked. Interior designed by Kevin Hart Design, Inc.

LOVE this cabinet in the shower. Great detail.

Love the large scale of the hexagonal marble tiles. I only see them in the small size out here on the West coast.

You can't really tell from the picture, but this entry table is amazing. Also, Tyra Banks was standing just off to the right of this picture. Gorgeous, also.

I liked the red paint on the woodwork of this bar area.

Little hanging tv's. Not sure what that was about...

Fuzzy wuzzy was a chair?

Look at the python chair.. to die for.

I think the designers were on LSD left over from the 60's on this room. Not so much my fave, but photographs well?

Okay, seriously, this was in the basement. And, yes, it is a torture device with a neon sign that says "swallow". No, I can not make these things up. Who decided that was appropriate for a design house?? What is that bottom hole for?

The marble detail in the medicine cabinet is genius!

{sailing lesson: 1}

2008-10-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

My house looks out onto the bay, so every morning and evening is spent watching the boaters head out and head back in again. I'm happy to say that I am joining the ranks as one of those boaters.

Yesterday, we began our quest to learn how to sail. I've been boating my whole life, and truly love being out on the water. It is one of my greatest passions, and a core part of who I am.

Since I moved out to LA five years ago, I have only been out on the Pacific Ocean twice... yesterday being the second. The strange thing about it, is that both times were on sailboats. That is strange, because I never considered myself to be a sailboat person and almost 100% of my boating experience comes from powerboating.

It's inexplicable to know what changed in me, that has drawn me to sailing, but I'm going to go with it, and hopefully learn a lot about myself in the process. 9 lessons to go.

Learned in lesson 1:

- There are these little pieces of yarn on the sails that are called tell tales. You are supposed to look at them all the time to look at how the wind is blowing. I'm assuming that is where you get the term "telltale signs". Right! Right?

- Lots of sailor talk, and I don't mean cursing. I learned that a LONG time ago. I mean real sailor talk, like jib, halyard, clew, tack, hank, shackle, hull, boom, tiller. It's a whole lot of hub bub to me.

- We learned the five points of sailing. I can't remember even one. Not even one of the words describing one...

The fact of the matter is, I may not be cut out for this. More to come. Lesson 2 next Sunday.

{designer: Nancy Corzine}

2008-10-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

Nancy Corzine has this gorgeous store on Main Street in Southampton. It is a gem, with beautiful pillows, furniture, lighting and accessories. She just recently opened another store in Palm Beach, that I can't wait to see.

As she states, “It hasn’t been so difficult; all it takes is total devotion, boundless energy and the ability to reinvent yourself on a continuing basis.” Halleujah, sister. Not many people trust themselves with reinvention, it's a gift. She really has an interesting story to tell, and with over twenty years in the business, it sounds like she has seen it all.

What I love about the Hamptons is that you can find anything here. Each town is small, each has it's own thing going on, and they cater to both high end boutique shops and entrepenuer boutiques. Southampton is my favorite, with lots of design boutiques and antique stores... it's a designers heaven. East Hampton is where you want to shop to stock up your closet. Obviously, I love EH, as well.

{travel: I never told you about...}

2008-10-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

... our amazing summer trip to Southampton, NY.

I've been in such a fog over the last month, and I'm trying desperately to get out of it. Part of my therapy is to start checking things off of my to-do list. A major item on the list is getting my SH posts up. Tomorrow is the day, I can feel it!

{cook: Gwyneth's Recipes}

2008-10-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

Just this morning, I was having an in depth cooking conversation with my housekeeper (aka lifesaver & friend), Maria, about the incredible tamales she made for us last week. I promise to post the recipe once I can weasel it out of her! Then these recipes were in my In Box this morning, courtesy of GOOP. They look gorgeous- and healthy, to boot.

It's that time of year where I am feeling inspired to spend time in the kitchen and be nurturing. I'm going to start posting lots of recipes I am testing out. I hope you enjoy them. Cooking is a passion of mine, but I can only cook when I am happy. It's been a tough month for me since being back from the Hamptons, and I have not been inspired to cook. When I feel myself longing to cook and create in the kitchen, I know there are better days to come.

Please let me know what you think of these!

(all photos and recipe copy courtesy of GOOP)

CARAMELIZED BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN

I recently found this recipe in Food & Wine magazine. It’s from Charles Phan, who runs the great Vietnamese restaurant, Slanted Door, in San Francisco. When I make it, I use a little less sugar, a lot more cilantro and organic chicken breasts (I prefer the texture of white meat in this preparation). This literally takes minutes, is so easy and tastes like what you always imagine take-out will taste like (but sadly never does). Serve this with jasmine or brown rice and stir-fried or steamed vegetables.

SERVES: 4 generously
TIME: 10 minutes

2/3 cup dark brown sugar (unrefined)
1/3 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons finely grated garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper
1 or 2 fresh Thai chilis (to your taste!), halved
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 pounds organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (1/2”)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, water, garlic, ginger, pepper and chili and reserve.In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook the shallots until softened and a bit brown, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken and stir-fry, browning it all over, about a minute. Add the sugar mixture and simmer over high heat until the chicken is totally cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

ASIAN TUNA SANDWICHES WITH SOY AND SESAME MAYONNAISE

This started as an elegant, plated tuna dish, but it quickly turned into an out-of-this-world sandwich. If you’d like, you can omit the bread and simply serve the tuna on a bed of arugula and use the soy and sesame mayonnaise as a dressing.

SERVES: 4
TIME: 10 minutes

2 tuna steaks, about half a pound each
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
8 slices ciabatta
Extra virgin olive oil
Soy and sesame mayonnaise (see recipe below)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup arugula

SOY AND SESAME MAYONNAISE

Beyond quick and simple but full of flavor. Also a nice dip for steamed vegetables.

MAKES: 1/2 cup (more than enough for 4 sandwiches)
TIME: 1 minute!

1/2 cup prepared mayonnaise (or Veganaise – the only substitute that tastes good)
2 teaspoons shoyu (soy sauce)
2 teaspoons roasted sesame oil
Whisk everything together.

Slice each tuna steak in half horizontally so you end up with four thin steaks (more bang for your buck!). Rub them with the peanut oil and ginger. Set a large, nonstick skillet over high heat. When it’s hot, cook the tuna steaks for 20-30 seconds on each side or until just seared. Meanwhile, grill or toast the bread and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Spread the soy and sesame mayo on one side of each slice and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Distribute the tuna and arugula evenly on four slices of bread and sandwich with the remaining four slices. Devour.

BUCKWHEAT AND BANANA PANCAKES

I’ve got a thing for pancakes. This combination of nutty buckwheat and sweet, sticky banana is just great. You could sprinkle chopped walnuts on the pancakes as they’re cooking for a full-on pancake-meets-banana bread experience. These happen to be vegan, but don’t taste like it. Buckwheat flour adds a lot of value to the plain white flour – it’s rich in nutrients like calcium, iron, B vitamins and protein, and it's gluten-free. Definitely worth a trip to the health food store.

SERVES: 3 or 4 (makes about a dozen pancakes)
TIME: 15 minutes

1 1/4 cups soy or rice milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour or white spelt flour (substitute rice flour to make pancakes completely gluten-free)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bananas, thinly sliced

Mix all the wet ingredients together in a small bowl. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a slightly bigger bowl. Add the wet to the dry and stir just enough to combine – be careful not to over-mix (that’s how you get tough pancakes).Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat (I love Jamie Oliver’s nonstick cookware – it’s so slippery that I don’t need to use any oil or butter). Ladle as many pancakes as possible onto your griddle. Place a few slices of banana on top of each pancake. Cook for about a minute and a half on the first side or until the surface is covered with small bubbles and the underside is nicely browned. Flip and cook for about a minute on the second side. Repeat the process until you run out of batter. Serve stacked high with plenty of maple syrup.

{artist: Dale Fairbanks: The Berry Pickers}

2008-10-19T21:08:00.000-07:00

I've shown artist Dale Fairbanks work on my blog before, and wanted to share her latest piece. Her art speaks to me, and the added story makes it more vibrant than it already is. I see different things now, and feel different feelings after reading the accompanying story. She is amazing and I'm so happy to have her words and works in my mind and heart.

The Berry Pickers

Price: $9,500 ♦ Size: 60" x 60" ♦ Date: 2008 ♦ Medium: Oil on Canvas

Our son returned to Alaska and the river Tanana in May, 2008, his truck primed and loaded, hauling behind an eighteen foot Jon boat packed with cold winter gear and provisions. The man, my boy, is twenty-one years old fierce on the trail of a dream and old roots he calls home.
I was slashing paint across a white fresh canvas before he crossed out of Florida...crying like a fool for what I am confused. He'd made sure in two months of packing that we would be glad to see him go.
The Berry Pickers appeared unsummoned to remind me that this boy is formed and done with growing. They taunted me, called me his yoke, a reminder of his vulnerability, his fear. The Berry Pickers will see to him now, and not in my fashion. They will leave him be, watch him out of the corners of their eyes, monitor his mistakes with no word, no opinion, no judgment. He will follow the trapping trail and disappear, and I trust with faltering faith he will return. The Berry Pickers understand he may not and go about their business of gathering: blueberries, salmonberries, lowbush cranberries, gathering for the long impatient white of winter.

New Work: See Dale's online portfolio for details.
www.dalefairbanks.com

{i heart blogs}

2008-10-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

I guess that's why I started my own blog.

Now that I have it, I've come to realize it's one of the few things I do that is entirely for me, about what I like, what I do, what I want, what I find interesting... It's fantastically therapeutic.

When I see lots of other blogs that are dedicated to interesting subject matter, I get very excited. It's what they want, what they like, what they find interesting, and they've hooked me. My hopes are that my stupid likes and dislikes, ideas and rants actually touch someone else like the blogs I mention touch me.

Here are a few that are amazing:

My husband will find this one interesting...Very timely.

Sad Guys On Trading Floors Click Here

A Year In Pictures Click Here

{art: now this is real.}

2008-10-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

LOVE, DAD

Exhibition designer Robert Guest has been getting up at dawn every school day for the past 15 years to write a note to each of his two children, Joanna and Theo. Here are some of the thousands of letters he wrote.

This inspirational blog is one of those simple ideas that is so touching to me. The fact that it comes from a dad, rather than the expected mom, is that much more special. It touched me and made me think of my wonderful dad.

{fashion: so here's the deal...}

2008-10-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, I watch TV. Maybe too much TV, and not quality TV... So be it, reality TV (no, not Survivor) is my guilty pleasure.

I just wanted to say that and get that out of the way so that I can wax poetic about how much I LOVE The Rachel Zoe Project, and how a little kernel of pleasure died when the show had it's finale the other night. Her style is the best, her jewelry is the best, she's funny, and has an incredibly luxurious job. Being immersed in the fashion worl the way she is, is enviable. So, if you watched the finale, "the kit" was the major issue. Here's what is in "the kit", according to Rachel:

"The kit is something that every stylist has. You can't ever, ever, EVER go anywhere without one, even if you're just going to help someone into a dress. The kit has all of the essentials. It's similar to a doctor's bag that they'd travel with to visit a patient's house. It's everything from double-sided tape, foot pads, heel pads, and toe pads to scissors, safety pins, stick pins, lint rollers, sewing kits, baby wipes, and undergarments. Everything imaginable and everything you could ever need goes in the kit. Everything. "

In Rachel's blog she addressed the issue of wearing fur all the time. Here's what she said about her final thoughts on season 1:

"I'm sad to see the season end. I want to thank all the viewers for just being so unbelievably kind. I'd also like to address all the people that are unhappy about me wearing fur. I want them to know that almost 100% of the fur I've worn in the show is vintage fur, not that vintage fur is necessarily any better. But I am addressing the situation, and I will be more respectful, because I think people are very hurt by it, and I understand and respect the opinions of viewers. I'm going to make a tremendous effort not to wear fur. If we have a second season, viewers will not see me in fur. I'll wear faux-fur. I truly respect everyone's opinions and I'm reevaluating the situation. I also want to thank everyone for being so supportive and so kind and for all the kind words. I love everyone for watching. "

Oh, and p.s. I'm obsessed with The Hill's and Gossip Girl, and the upcoming Hill's spinoff, The City (with Whitney). Yay! You'd think I was a 13 year old girl, not the 35 year old I am fighting being!

{dear...}

2008-10-16T10:19:00.001-07:00

... Korto Momolu,

YOU GOT ROBBED! Your Finale collection for Project Runway was incredible. The use of colors, texture, design, and make were hands down gorgeous! I cried for you at your loss, but you will undoubtedly be around and a smashing success in the fashion world for many years to come. Congrats!

{fashion: Leanne wins Project Runway...}

2008-10-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, controversy here for me. While I loved Leanne, I never really thought she would win. Congrats and all, but the best woman did not get the prize here. Do we hear rumblings that the show is almost kaput? I'm getting bored, and less inspired. Here are some of her Finale pieces, which are fabulous, and I would wear any of these given the opportunity!

I love the shoes, who are they??

{GOOP by Gwyneth Paltrow Update}

2008-10-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

I reported a while back that the lovely Gwyneth Paltrow launched a new website called GOOP. I just received her first email that I find to be smart, thoughtful, and informative... I love it. Her thoughts and questions are on target with how I feel, questions that I am asking, but noone seems to be answering. Do you know someone like the person described below? I DO.

So far so good, Gwynnie.

Here it is:

This newsletter really needs very little by way of introduction. I am interested in spiritual disciplines within different religions and schools of thought. I thought it would be inspiring to periodically ask a question to a group of thinkers from various traditions on the subjects that often confound me. Below you will find the first question and answers by Deepak Chopra, Michael Berg of the Kabbalah Centre, Episcopal priest Cynthia Bourgeault, Sufi Shaikh Kabir Helminski, and New York psychologist Karen Binder-Brynes.

Question:I have a friend who sees the world in a pessimistic light. This person is highly suspicious of people and situations, and sees, as well as experiences negativity at most turns. Why is this and what does it mean? What can be done to help someone of this nature?

Deepak Chopra replies:

A: First, it helps to understand the real nature of the problem. Imagine the self as a huge steamship, fully loaded, set on reaching a destination. When you set eyes on this ship in mid-journey, you don't see it being loaded, leaving port and settling on where it wants to go. By analogy, when you see your friend, you meet her at a given moment, but she is sailing through her life fully loaded with past influences – all of us express our entire lives in this very minute. The minute is fleeting, but the momentum carrying us forward is immense.

Your friend’s pessimism isn’t about what’s here and now. It’s about the fully loaded cargo she’s carrying. Here and now you are tempted to say, “See? There’s no reason to be suspicious or negative. It’s a beautiful day, we all love you. Be happy.” This approach never works. Not because your friend is stubborn but because this beautiful day and your loving feelings are a tiny fraction of her reality, her fully loaded cargo.

If you want to help someone in such a situation, keep the steamship analogy in mind. Her ship isn’t going to change course unless she wants to steer it in a new direction. You can travel with her, showing her a new direction. But don’t take responsibility. This isn’t your journey, it’s hers. A good deal of negativity is ego-based. Beneath the surface, at a subtler level of the self, she is afraid and insecure. She wants your loving support, and sometimes the clouds clear and she sees that you want the best for her. Keep offering that subtle influence of love and support. Don’t confront her head on (her ego will only get more stubborn), and don't be tempted to psychoanalyze her. She and you are both on a journey, and if it happens that you exchange a burst of light on the way, appreciate that and be alert to the next time you can share a moment of clarity.

Love,Deepak
Deepak Chopra is the President of the Alliance for A New Humanity http://www.deepakchopra.com/

Michael Berg replies:

A: What we see is who we are. When we are in a good place, we see goodness all around us. When we are in a bad place, we see darkness. We might think we’re picking up these flaws in others because we are smarter or better. But the deeper truth is our judgments are merely an indication of where we are at spiritually.

Kabbalah teaches that within everything in this world can be found good and bad aspects. We choose – consciously or unconsciously – which part we wish to see. That choice is a reflection of who we are.

When we meet someone for the first time, we can focus on their positive or negative qualities. The direction we go in is a choice we are making. The same goes for new situations. Obviously there are times we need to discern the pros and cons of people or situations because it affects our well-being. That’s part of life. But most of the time when we judge it is not out of necessity to make a decision, it is simply because our negativity causes us to see negativity in others.

In addition to indicating where we are at, there is an exchange of energy when we judge someone. Kabbalah explains that focusing on someone’s negativity actually brings that energy into our lives! Certainly, no one wants to consciously bring negativity into our lives, which is the whole concept; we are unaware.

This week, the lesson for us is twofold. First, be aware of this concept: what I see is where I am at. Develop within yourself the proactive ability to focus only on the good in people or situations. Second, know that by seeking out the positive in others and in all aspects of life, you are awakening – and strengthening – that goodness inside of you.

– Michael Berg
Michael Berg is Co-Director of the Kabbalah Centre

Cynthia Bourgeault replies:

A: I am not so sure it’s a question of nature, but of nurture – or lack thereof. We live in a world where fear and cynicism are running sky high, where traditional institutions of faith and culture are breaking down, and where our dislocation from nature and the natural rhythms of life leave our souls a little pent up and crazy. Suspicion and pessimism are pretty good defenses against a world gone mad. But the great spiritual teachings of the ages have suggested a radically counter-intuitive response. When this same question came up in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s great novel The Brothers Karamazov, the wise elder Fr. Zossima said in response, “Go help someone. Reach out to a brother or sister in need. Feed the hungry, heal the sick – (or at least, take on your small share of the task) – and then, only then, will you come to know that the world is trustworthy and God is real.” His point is tough, but true: First the eye of the heart must open, and only then will one see confirmation in the external world. As long as suspicion and pessimism are being projected, suspicion and pessimism are what the cosmos will confirm.

So how to break the vicious cycle? Fr. Zossima’s advice is still as true today as it was in his time: look for a chance to serve. Volunteer in a shelter, a food pantry, a nursing home: it will soften your heart. Spend time in nature, in a playground with young children; sing!; read love poetry; hang out with the "good, the true and the beautiful," however they speak to you. The problem is that we are starving – all of us, really – for the energy of beauty and goodness so long absent from our contemporary cultural experience. But we have to start making these energies ourselves – from within ourselves. That is not only an individual task; it is our collective human task and our planet will thank us for it.

– Cynthia Bourgeault
Cynthia Bourgeault is an Episcopal priest, writer and retreat leader. She is founding director of the Aspen Wisdom School in Colorado and principal visiting teacher for the Contemplative Society in Victoria, BC, Canada.

Shaikh Kabir Helminski replies:

A: When our experience of the outer world is primarily through the filter of negative thinking, we gradually lose the capacity to experience life with an open heart. The thinking mind, at its best, may be a competent analyst and critic, but a purified heart is needed to perceive beauty and meaning, and the greatest suffering is meaninglessness.

Years of negative mental and emotional habits of perceiving the world corrode the mirror of the heart. The soul can become infected with negativity and lose the capacity to recognize the grace, beauty and generosity of what truly is. The mind then becomes a very tight prison.

Hope lies in two capacities of the soul: One is presence – a wider, meditative state of awareness that encompasses our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Presence offers a perspective on our thoughts and negative attitudes. Presence engenders a spaciousness which opens the doors and windows of the mental prison of negativity. Presence develops with meditation, inner silence and stillness, and mindful activity.

The second necessary capacity of the soul that can free us from the prison of the mind is a knowing heart, a faculty that begins to reveal itself in that state of presence. The heart perceives the simple goodness of life, the exquisite beauty of simple being, of relationships, of existence. The thinking mind cannot arrive at this perception alone. The head says, “No,” and “But...” Only the heart responds with an unconditional “Yes!” Only the heart can grasp the goodness of being, discover meaning in life and be grateful.

It’s simple, really, but the thinking mind will stubbornly argue otherwise until it is taught to be quiet and listen to the heart. Ultimately the thinking mind can be informed by the heart and translate the perceptions of the heart into language, communication and wisdom.

If we are habitually negative, suspicious and cynical about life, we are dumping garbage in and around the house of the soul. If we see with a knowing heart, keep a positive vision, encourage ourselves and others, keep the faith, we establish beautiful gardens in the soul.

– Shaikh Kabir Helminski
Kabir Helminski is Shaikh of the Mevlevi Order, Co-director of The Threshold Society (Sufism.org).

Dr. Karen Binder-Brynes replies:

A: Your friend has developed a protective defense system at seeing the world as a negative and unsafe place. Most humans are not born pessimistic, rather develop these tendencies as a result of early negative interactions, disappointments or trauma within their worlds, most likely in the immediate environment, i.e., family and/or caretakers. As a result, they find it safer to not have faith in things turning out right, or in believing that they will not always be wronged, struggle and suffer. This belief irrationally protects one from being continually disappointed. Unfortunately, these negative beliefs and feelings often attract negative energy from the universe, which in turn tends to reinforce their negative philosophy of life. These pessimistic feelings become so entrenched and familiar that they become like old friends. “Pessimism, when you get used to it, is just as agreeable as optimism.” –Arnold Bennet. Often, pessimists do not realize the impact that their negativity has on others: friends, families, co-workers and on just how much their “glass half-empty” feelings fulfill the very prophecy that “no matter what I do, things will always be bad.” Your friend needs to first realize that they have a pessimistic view of life and then must work hard at re-framing how they look at the world and how they came to have these beliefs. Anything your friend can do to help restore their faith and belief in the goodness of others, including themselves, can be helpful. For example, volunteer work is often a great way to start feeling better about oneself and give one a sense of well-being and meaning in the world. As a friend, injecting humor towards your friend’s pessimism is a relief mechanism for you and might help lighten your comrade’s heavy load, even if just for a moment!

– Karen Binder-Brynes, Ph.D.
Dr. Karen Binder-Brynes is a leading psychologist with a private practice in New York City for the past 15 years.

{travel: Truckee, CA}

2008-10-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

I talk about being up at the cabin a lot in this blog. Well, the "cabin", not really a cabin, but kind of... is on Donner Lake in Truckee, CA. About a three+ hour drive from San Francisco. A crazy seven to eight hour drive from LA... not doing that ever again. The Downtown area of Truckee is cool because it really feels like you are in an old mining town. The town preserves the old signs and exteriors of the buildings to keep the authentic feel. The shopping is great, and the restaurants are really good. One of our favorites, Moody's even had a guest appearance and performance by Paul McCartney, who supposedly has a home on Donner Lake. I called BS on it, but they have a picture of him there singing. Another place we like is The Squeeze Inn, where I saw Helen Mirren having breakfast. Pretty fancy celebs for a not-so-celeb sighting kind of place.

It's fall there now, and snowed one of the days we were up there. The trees are changing, the lake is down pretty far, and it's a good idea to light up the fireplace once inside. I love this time of year! It's our favorite quick weekend getaway, and we're so glad we decided to buy the cabin. This trip we were able to see Phase Two of our renovation get started, which included ripping off all the exterior decks of the house and laying the new foundation to beat the impending snow. They will frame the addition and work through the winter. All very exciting for us. I can't wait to show you what finishes I pick for the floors. I already have an idea, but will show you once it's finalized.

How Truckee got it's name:

1844: A friendly Paiute Indian chief assisted thousands of emigrants in their migration west across the Humboldt Sink through forty mile desert. The Indian's name sounded like 'Tro-kay' to the white men, who dubbed him 'Truckee.' Guided by mountain man Caleb Greenwood the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party (sometimes called just the Stephens Party) became the first Emigrant wagon train that successfully crossed the Sierra. Elisha Stephens called the small lake beneath the pass Mountain Lake. A year later it was also known as Truckee Lake.

The Donner Party:

1846: The Donner Party followed the Truckee Route to the California Trail, a branch of the Emigrant Trail, to attempt a crossing of Donner Pass. Arriving in late October, heavy snows had already begun creating harsh conditions for their journey. The party was said to have resorted to cannibalism to survive the winter. 47 of the 87 men, women and children perished. More can be learned of their fascinating story at Donner Memorial State Park where you can visit the museum and Pioneer Monument.

Emigrant Trail:

1846-9:In this short period, thousands of emigrants passed westward through the Truckee Basin on the Truckee Route of the California Trail. It ran through Stampede and Prosser Valleys, past Truckee into the Coldstream Valley, and over the Sierra crest via Roller Pass, where wagons were hauled up the steep slope using chains. After 1849 Emigrants used other easier routes to travel into the gold country of California.

On and on, very interesting stuff for this little town. See the Chamber Of Commerce for more history.

{artist: Willard Wigan}

2008-10-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

Known as the creator of the world's smallest and most wondrous works of art, I couldn't agree more. Willard Wigan may also be the world's first "micro-sculptor".

I'm obviously in a very artsy and inspired place these days, but how can I be anything else when there are so many fascinating people out there doing the impossible for the sake of art. I use the words obsessed and love too much, but I am completely obsessed and in love with Willard's art.

Apparently, I'm not the only one... former England Davis Cup captain turned entrepreneur, David Lloyd purchased the remaining Willard Wigan collection of micro sculptured art in February 2007. The collection was subsequently insured by Lloyd’s of London for £11.2 million. A long time anonymous collector of art, David Lloyd’s purchase has been viewed by many as a significant coup in the art world.

Statue of Liberty in the head of a pin

Willard was commisioned by Lloyds of London to replicate the iconic Lloyd’s of London Building as designed by the award winning architect, Lord Richard Rogers. The difference however being that Willard's masterpiece was on a pinhead, which was then sold by Eric Knowles (Bonham’s Fine Art) for £94,000.

Six Wives of Henry VIII
A Green Clown

You can see Willard's art here

{artist: Spencer Tunick}

2008-10-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

Mexico City

Dusseldorf
Dusseldorf
Grand Central Station, NY

Dusseldorf

The artist, born, lives and works in NY. He uses the human body as the subject matter for all his photography to dramatic effect. When I lived in NY, I heard about a few of his shoots (and even considered being in one, but chickened out). I'm still enraptured when I see his work. Go to his website to see them larger and more dramatic.

{artist: Devorah Sperber}

2008-10-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

I'm purely amazed at her creativity and vision. Read below what you are looking at!

Description:

A life sized rendering of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper constructed from 20,736 spools of thread strung onto aluminum ball chain. When seen with the aid of optical devices, the spools of thread coalesce into realistic images of Christ and his disciples.. When seen with the naked eye, the spools of thread appear as an abstract arrangement of multi-colored blocks/3D pixels, further abstracted by the fact that The Last Supper imagery is upside down and backwards. The clear acrylic viewing spheres rotate the imagery 180 degrees back to the correct orientation and condense the individual pixels/spools of thread into recognizable images. In addition, the spheres offer monocular views of the work, accentuating the illusion of 3 dimension as it exists in flat paintings. Leonardo da Vinci understood that the illusion of 3D in paintings was derived from monocular, not binocular, vision.

The original mural is highly symmetrical, with the right eye of the Christ figure as the single, centered vanishing point, from which all compositional elements project. In my rendering, the vanishing point, also Christ's right eye is slightly lower than eye level. Because the spheres rotate the imagery 180 degrees, viewers have the illusion of looking up at the image, replicating the orientation of viewers to the original mural. The two 45 degree angles of the trapezoid replicate the illusion of 3D space in the painting, referencing the site-specific nature of the original mural.

All photos and copy from the artists website

{Liz Phair has the best hair}

2008-10-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

So, there are many things about my friend Liz that I can say. She's smart, funny, talented...blah, blah, blah. Those are all true, especially talented- we got to see her play at the Troubadour last night and she was fabulous! She's releasing a new album in the coming months that will be a required purchase. All that being said, the girl is follically blessed. Seriously, you can catch her at any time of day, and her hair is always perfect. I notice, because my hair (the four strands I have left) always look like they are barely hanging on. So, yes, I'm jealous.

Liz and I met through a friend of hers and she hired me to interior design her house. I have to say, it looks amazing and maybe one day you will see it in Elle Decor or Domino. If that happens, trust me, her hair will be perfect...

{design: i'm feeling winter-ish}

2008-10-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Which is making me want to shop and redecorate for the colder months. I'm starting with pillows (see yesterdays post), then on to some cozier rugs for my feet.

The sheepskin rug and furry things for my bedroom are feeling just right for the season change. Faux fur blankets for the bed. Not sure they will work here in LA, but definitely for the cabin (which I keep meaning to post the renovation updates for!).

And the orange plates feel fall-ish, but in a cool, fresh, non-heavy way. Don't you think fall decorations can seem heavy sometimes? I'm definitely loving the oranges, and creams, and lighter fall colors this year.

{design: time for a change}

2008-10-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

I just added this pillow line to my store, and couldn't be more excited about it. When you are feeling the itch for change (and it doesn't include the names Obama or McCain), what is the first thing you do? Personally, I always aim for the pillows on my sofas. It can be the quickest, most dramatic change, without having to break a sweat. Maybe just a little perspiration when you are at the register paying for them....

How could you walk by these pillows and not want a little sofa makeover?

{a lost art: table manners}

2008-10-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

I thought this post was so timely given the holidays are just around the corner, and chances are you will be throwing or attending some sort of fete. Table manners have always been one of those things that I am uncompromising about. I've given more than a few dirty looks and possibly a scolding or two when in the presence of not only bad table manners, but bad manners in general. Eddie Ross (my fave to win on Top Design), posted this on his blog today, and I liked it so much, I'm copying it word (and picture) for word.
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Eddies post:

Table Manners

As a much as I love hitting the flea market for good china, silverware and glass, I love to use it even more! These days, most of us tend to be pretty casual at mealtimes, but every now and then, when I'm having friends or clients over to the apartment for dinner, I'll pull out all the stops and do a really formal setting. Having been a caterer back in the day, I'm pretty well-versed in how it goes. I know it can seem a little daunting at first—um, Eddie, which way did you say the blades should face?—but a good rule of thumb is to think about the order of courses and work from the outside in. To get things started, here are five table settings that, for the most part, follow the rules. Take it from me: learn the basics first and then get creative by mixing it up.

International Informal — This setting probably looks the most familiar. Soup spoon to the right, knife next to that, dinner fork on the left. Dessert fork and spoon are above the plate. To get the direction right, imagine the dinner fork moving up and to the right.

American Formal — This one's for a three-course meal that starts with a fish appetizer, so its fork and knife are on the outside. Dinner utensils go in the middle; dessert on the inside. You don't have to use both for dessert, but sometimes, when that caramel sauce is extra good, you just want to scoop it up!

British Formal — If you have the luxury of a big table, use it! Here, the dessert fork and spoon are laid inside the dinner knife and fork. Soup course first, so its spoon goes all the way to the right. For the glasses, from right to left, the order goes white wine, red wine, water. The butter plate's on the left with a napkin simply folded.

English Afternoon Tea — Whenever I have friends in town and want to do something that's so New York City chic, I'll take them to afternoon tea at Bergdorf's. Here, the butter plate sits in the center with the bread knife, dessert spoon and pastry fork to the right. The teacup and saucer are above the flatware, teaspoon behind, handle to the right. Pass the scones, please!

French Formal — The French do it a different way. First, turn 'em over! Utensils face down. No butter plates or knives here, as bread is laid right on the table. What, no butter? I know...I'd be sad too. I went to culinary school in the French tradition—think Julia Child—so when it comes down to it, butter is my friend.

So with all of these rules, you might ask, where does the fun come in? Aren't rules made to be broken? Or at least a little bent? And my answer is Yes! There are so many ways to get creative with table settings—how you fold the napkin, where you place it, oval plates instead of round, mason jars as glasses at a barbecue. The list is as long as your own imagination. Just make sure you know the basics—where the glasses go, forks are on the left, spoons and knives on the right, blades facing in. And if you'd like, feel free to leave me a comment with how you bend the rules at your table settings. I'd love to hear about it.
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You can see Eddie's Blog Here

{artist: Dale Fairbanks}

2008-10-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

Last year, I ripped out an article from In Style Home Fall/Winter, that featured Campbell Brown's NYC apartment. While I thought her apartment was great, it was the artwork that really captivated me. It just so happens that all the art displayed in her apartment was painted by her artist mother, Dale Fairbanks.

Moonlight Sonata

Life Goes On

This Way Up

I'm in love with the scale and vibrancy of the pieces. It's been over a year since I had seen that article, and it kept popping into my mind. I searched through hundreds of cutouts to find it. I'm such a huge fan of color, movement, and energy, and this art has that and more. You just may see a piece appear in one of my clients homes, or mine, for that matter.

Visit her website to see more pieces for sale Click Here

{Breat Cancer Awareness: Haley's Dailies}

2008-10-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, on Oprah, was Christina Applegate who chronicled her battle with Breast Cancer. She sat with her oncologist, Dr. Philomena McAndrew, an attending physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. McAndrew also happens to be my friend Haley's Oncologist, one of the "Dream Team" of doctors who saved her life, and Christina's as well.

Haley's battle was one that I will always look at with amazement. She always had an unbelieveable sense of strength and humor. An incredible testament to that was the email updates she sent around to all her friends and family to keep us up to date with what was going on. I've always saved them because I find them to be some of the most inspirational emails I have ever seen, and am so happy to post them on my blog so that others can see them as well.

Haley, you are an inspiration and know that your message will be heard far and wide.

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Haley Daily #1:

As many of you may already know, I was diagnosed with breast cancer last Wednesday. Needless to say, this came as a big BIG surprise, but I'm doing great. Thank you all for your outpouring of love and support. It has touched me deeply and given me strength. Although I may not be able to return all your calls and emails, please know that I do appreciate them and hope they keep on coming.

My doctors say that I am lucky to have caught the cancer early and because of my young age, I have a great prognosis for a full recovery (and even a brand new set of "girls" if you know what I mean).

Needless to say I have spent the past week consulting with doctors and doing scans and other tests. I have a top notch team of specialists at Cedars Sinai (really, I do) dedicated to working on my case and getting me into the right treatment as soon as possible. I will also be getting a 2nd opinion with another highly referred breast center (Breastlink in Manhattan Beach). There are still many questions and things to consider along this path, but today was a good day because we finally have a plan for my treatment.

Here are the basics:
On Wednesday, 8/16, I will have a lumpectomy to get the yicky tumor and lymph nodes out and an excission of another "questionable" ugly little guy in my other breast. While they are off being disected in pathology, I will do fertility treatments (oh fun) for about two weeks and hopefully harvest (not scramble) some eggs. Too much info yet? Wait, it gets better. Then I start chemotherapy right away, hopefully getting just the right cocktail of poison (cancer killing drugs) and anti-nausea medicine to lead a normal life as my hair falls out. Believe it or not, I'm actually laughing as I can't believe I'm writing this. After about 4 months of chemo, I decide either: (a) mastechtomy and reconstructive surgery or (b) breast conservation with a healthy dose of radiation therapy. (What would you choose?) There are many things and further test results to consider before I make my decision about this last step. Thus, to be continued…
Thanks for listening and hopefully laughing a little with me!

I love you all dearly, Haley
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Haley (apparently not so) Daily #2

Boy, has this been the longest month EVER! But I continue to be moved and blessed by all of your love and support. So thank you all once again.

Last time I wrote, I was scheduled for my lumpectomy and all that jazz on Aug 16…well, it's done and I'm recovering very well. The surgeon removed the tumor and several lymph nodes in my left breast and then removed the questionable little guy in my right. I met with my oncologist last Wed, Aug 23, to discuss the results of the final pathology report. The path confirmed that the margins are clear in both breasts (i.e., there should be no more tumors or cancerous cells) and that the cancer did NOT spread into my lymph nodes (this is HUGE! - score: 2 points for Haley). However, that questionable little guy in my right breast was precancerous (dratz. - score: 1 point for Charlie the Cancer).

I also had a very positive report from my fertility specialist (ha! - score: another 1 for Haley). I have started the fertility process which should culminate in the beginning of Sept . Then I get two weeks off of these rollercoaster ride hormone drugs before I start chemo cocktailing by the end of Sept. My cocktail regimen has not been finalized at this point, but I will be pushing for the 4-1/2 month (rather than the 6 month) protocol, which lands me mid-Jan 2007.

Because the questionable little guy turned out to be precancerous, my doctors recommend that I have a double mastectomy to reduce/eliminate my chance of another local recurrence. They say I will need about 2 months to rest after chemo to let my white blood cell count normalize. So….I will be losing my lady lumps sometime in the early spring of 2007. (Waaahhh. - score: another 2 pts for Charlie). Thankfully, this should eliminate the need for radiation if everything appears clear after that surgery. (So, why not...score: another 1 point for Haley). And, it doesn't end there, my friends, because I start "expansion" for the reconstructive surgery which should give me a set of perky new girlfriends just in time for next summer (Yeah! score: 2 perky points for Haley).

And so, the Game is on...

Thank you all for your prayers…someone has been listening!
With love, big hugs and kisses, Haley

SCORE RECAP:
Home Team: 2+1+1+2 = 6
Visitor Team: 1+2 = 3
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Haley Daily #3

Where oh where have I left off? Surgery: Last time I wrote I had been recovering well from my lumpectomy, et al. My surgeon did such a great job that I've already gotten feeling back in my breasts and my armpit, and have no more excuses not to shave there (my armpit, not my breasts, geez). I feel like a lady again!!!

Fertility: I had my (cover your ears if you're shy) egg retrieval on Sept 5 and had GREAT success according to my fertility doc. I was (ears) BLOA-OATed from those crazy hormone drugs for about a week afterward but it was sooooo very worth it. What a relief to know I have a little stash of golden eggs (which I lovingly call my Totsicles) waiting for me in the future.

Hair news: In preparation for my chemo, I decided to donate 11" of my hair to Locks For Love which is an organization that makes wigs for children who are cancer patients. With the remaining but oh so cute bob cut I have left, what do you think I did???? Hmmmmm….what could it be?????? Give up? I'm a BLONDE again and lovin' every single minute of it (which, ironically, are quite limited).

Cocktails: On Monday, I had one stiff chemo-politan martini (3 parts poison, dripped, not stirred) with a hydration chaser. MMMmmmmm! But oh the price you pay for that kind of partying. Well, actually, except for a killer Migraine (which was finally subsiding this afternoon with the assistance of my new friend vicodin), I'm not feeling that bad at all (knock on wood and all that jazz!) So I'm actually planning on popping back into work tomorrow for a bit and then on Friday.

One treatment down…five to go.

Thank you for all of your love and support. I love you all!

- Haley
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Haley Daily #4

So it's been over two months since this crazy cancer party started. Too bad I don't remember ever rsvp'ing to the invite.

Chemo #1: I had my 1st chemo treatment on Monday Sept 18th…felt good enough to send out an email that Wednesday and then got slammed by a killer migraine on Thursday. Pulled myself together(ish) on Friday and then spent Saturday with family and Sunday with Mom and friends doing the Race (walk really) for the Cure in Newport Beach. But what a great experience that was!!! Then Neulasta hit me with my first ever **Achey Breaky Bones Day.** You may ask what this means (and if you don't have to, I'm sorry). Neulasta is a WONDER-drug that is injected into your system and stays there, ever so quietly, until your white blood cell count plummets, and then it comes charging out of the gate like there's no tomorrow. I actually FELT my bone marrow making white blood cells. What a trip! However, while on this trip, I walked around like a 95 year-old woman with two elephants on her back. I have to admit, it was a pretty funny site.

Appointment with my hairapist: As far as the party attire goes, I don't recall agreeing to the G-I Jane theme. Nevertheless, it happened. A little earlier than I had hoped, but pretty much right on schedule. Rather than wait out the inevitable, I asked the charming Mr. Razorhands to do the deed. And he did, and now I'm the new (improved?) G-I Jo. What a sense of empowerment! Not. It sucks, but not as much as…being eaten by a tiger, right? I do have some beautiful wigs, hats and scarves that family and friends have so generously given me. Thank you all…I love them!

Chemo #2: I just had my 2nd chemo treatment on Monday Oct 9th. So this time, I'm waiting to write…til Thursday...to see how I feel. Honestly, not too bad at all, which kinda makes me wonder if this chemo is actually doing what it's supposed to do. But that I'll have to take up with my doctor. This time, we took some precautions to prevent the migraine from recurring and IT WORKED!!! I took it easy Mon, Tues and Weds morning and then came back to work on Wed afternoon. The worst part this time is that I've had a couple of Kick Box the Chemo Girl Days because my body literally hurts to touch. But then again…Kick box? Tiger? Kick box? Tiger? I'll be a kick boxing bag any day…as long as it's not a tiger doing the kicking. That would be rude.

Two treatments down....four to go.
Thank you for all of your love and support. I love you all!

- Haley "G-I" Jo
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Haley Daily #5

So I haven't been very good about writing since my last update in October, but I have been very good about LIVING over this past month!!! Here's a little update on my doings, feelings, and upcoming treatments. I really hope this isn't "too much info" for some of you. Please read at your own risk…you'll soon see what I mean.

Doings
As some of you know, back in May of this year I started taking adult beginning ballet classes (something I had always secretly wanted to do). I instantly loved it. The movements, the music, and the way it works your body (especially your butt ) make ballet the perfect workout, escape and release for me. Anyway, I had about two solid months of classes before I got my diagnosis and I had to stop taking classes to take care of this crazy cancer thing. Then on Saturday, October 14, with my first surgery and one month of chemo behind me, I went back to class. I'll never forget that day. I was so nervous. I didn't know if I'd remember the names of the movements (they're all in French of all things) or if my body would remember or even be able to do the movements. It was a hard workout, mentally and physically, but I got through it. As I left the studio, my eyes welled up and I couldn't stop the tears…it was hard to believe I felt so normal, so proud, and so alive…like myself again. Since then I've taken 3 or 4 classes per week. I've noticed the effect of chemo on my balance and coordination (I know some of you are laughing at this and justifiably so) but I am improving, really I am. I often think about people who are not as fortunate as I am, in strength of body and spirit, and can no longer do the very things that they love to do. I dance each class with this blessing in mind. It means so much to me.

Feelings
These days my feelings generally equate to the side effects I'm experiencing and so I've taken to naming each day as it relates to the present side effect. Here are some real but not so glamorous examples.

Achey Breaky Bones Day. You've heard about this one already. This is when you actually feel your bone marrow making white blood cells. How cool, you say. Wrong. I walked around like a 95 year old lady on this day. BUT, fortunately it only happened once. I've been taking Claritin D to prevent this side effect. It sounds random, but it worked. No complaints here.

Holy Horror Is It Hemorrhoids? Day. I'm not sure what was worse…the way I felt, having to describe it to my doctor, or having the pharmacist announce the proper use of my medication to the whole freakin' pharmacy. You decide. Thankfully, it's not the big H, but just the extremely expressive way these chemo toxins let you know they are leaving your body, saying goodbye asshole, see ya next time. Ugh.

Hallelujah It's Just Hormones Day. It's funny, you concentrate so much on what the chemo is doing to you physically that you tend to overlook the way it's affecting you emotionally. Looking back I realize I've been an emotional wreck the Monday and Tuesday of the 3rd week of each of my last two treatments. Coincidence? I suspect not. I believe that these are the days when the chemo is ravaging my hormones, making me cry at the sound of a sympathetic voice, contemplate staying in bed for the next 5 years, or freak out over things I would otherwise face rationally. Then Wednesday comes and I can't believe I've let such things get to me over the last two days. I guess if I didn't have these hormonal lows I wouldn't appreciate the highs. And having hormones to blame it on makes it a wonderful thing being a woman.

Dizzy Does Dehydration Day. The 3 or 4 days following my 3rd treatment I was feeling pretty good, but just not myself. I was more lethargic than the other times and I kept getting light headed when I stood up too fast. Now I can do dizzy just as well as any other (bottle) blonde out there, but this was the real thing. I went to see my doctor about it. She said my blood pressure was too low due to dehydration, the result of which was my light-headedness. Who knew? I had been drinking water like nobody's business but sometimes that's just not enough. I got some bonus hydration at the doc's office and learned a little lesson about electrolytes. Since then, I've been drinking Smartwater (which is infused with electolytes much like Gatorade is) and oh what a difference in my energy level and, yes, my dizziness too.

Hotflash HoliDays. Sounds like an exotic vacation package, right? Not quite. It's more like an express train to hell and back, again and again and again. Imagine lying on some distant shores of hot molten lava surrounded by glimmering pools of your own sweat! Hmmm…that's about right. Unless you've experienced these wonders of the world, it's hard to imagine.

Happy Happy Hair-Free Days. It's crazy to believe, but a girl can get used to this. There are clearly pros and cons, but for the sake of positive thinking, let's explore the pros. No expensive salons, no embarrassing roots, no hairdryers, no hair products, no bad hair days, no hair in your food, no hair in the shower drain, no hair on the bathroom floor, no phantom hairs falling down your shirt, no bed head, no wind resistance, and best of all, no shaving! None?, you ask. Nope, none, not at all, NOWHERE!

So that's it. Honestly, it could be far worse. These side effects are mild in comparison to what others have experienced. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I realize I have to credit my "good experience" to a few very important things.

1. I am young and I take good care of myself with exercise and a pretty good diet (chocolate exempted).

2. I had a lumpectomy before chemo and I am having my mastectomy after chemo. This was just how my treatment plan worked out. Many women undergo a mastectomy (a very invasive surgical procedure) before chemo, for good reasons, but it potentially leaves them with less energy to deal with the chemo. I would have liked to have the mastectomy behind me but I am thankful to have had such a positive experience overall…so far so good.

3. I think most importantly, I've been doing acupuncture on a weekly basis. In cancerland this is called complimentary therapy. Call it whatever you want, but I have to believe it has made a huge difference in the way my body has responded to and processed the treatments. Acupuncture can target may bodily functions. My treatments have focused on helping my liver and spleen process the toxins through my body. Amen my buddha brother! Get that stuff outa there the sooner the better.

Treatments
I am HALF WAY through my chemo treatments. As far as milestones go, this feels like a biggie. My first three treatments were with a chemopolitan called FEC. I had it three times starting Monday, September 18, once every three weeks. My next three treatments are with a different cocktail called Taxotere. Of course, the side effects from Taxotere differ from FEC. This round I should be looking forward to increased fatigue and joint pain. How lovely, right? I have my first of these treatments this coming Monday, November 20. I have elected to have it weekly for nine weeks instead of a stonger dose once every three weeks for three times. It's supposed to be a bit easier to handle weekly. So I'll be cocktailing every Monday (jealous?), except that it'll be Tuesdays around the holidays, with my last one (the Superbowl of chemo) scheduled for Monday, January 15. Bring it on, I'm ready!

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and continued love and support!

Love, Haley
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Haley Daily # 6

Hi all,

I'm done, I'm done, I'm DONE. I had my last chemo treatment yesterday. It's been a blast, of sorts. Next step, eat some real sushi again (YUM!), enjoy a luxurious manicure and pedicure, detox, and get some good R&R. Then…drum roll, please….bilateral mastectomy and reconstructive surgery on Feb 6, followed by two months of divine disability.

I must thank all my family and friends who have stood by me, kept me company at my treatments, and listened to all my tales and woes of chemo life. Through it all, I've learned a lot about myself and so much more. Here is a goofy little poem to commemorate this experience...

Chemonista
Chemo Glam is what I am Part art, some smarts, and a lot of heart. Decked to the hilt in expensive designer drugs Lovingly administered with kisses and hugs. My spirit stayed strong, my outlook still bright Despite this ridiculous side effect plight. As treatments have come and now are all passed I offer this Glam Guide, an ode of chemo crass. Hair loss came first, the thought of wearing a wig, the worst But now as a blonde bombshell, my confidence will never burst. My skin has been clear, smooth, radiant as snow For no invaders can thrive under this toxic Chemo Glow. Fluttering eyelids sound romantic and Old Hollywood dreamy But when you can't see straight, the bedroom ain't gonna get very steamy. Teary eyes have been a most annoying and prolonged surprise I could win the Oscar for best actress in a weepy theatrical reprise. Nose bleeds, mouth ulcers, and a horrifying metallic mouth taste No orifice was spared, no freakish side effect gone to waste. Nausea was expected, a welcomed kind of diet Yet no grumbles or mumbles, my stomach stayed quiet. Constipation has been a weighty and constant companion I've bought enough ex-lax to fill the good ol' Grand Canyon. Toxicity in my hands left me with lovely red rough and leathery skin Do you think that hand-shaped Coach bags will ever be in? Hot flashes provide the ultimate natural glow and dewey glisten Premature menopause is where it's at, all the young starlets should listen. My steroid rage was unexpected, scary, yet undeniably fashionable I would have held my own with stars like Russell Crowe and Naomi Campbell. Lately my thoughts have been scattered, my vocabulary drained This is the real kicker, a charming phenomenon called Chemo Brain. I hope this tale of my side effect plight has kept you enthralled with shock and delight. For this Chemonista has done Chemo Glam just right and relishes the fact she's winning this fight!

Love to you all, Haley
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Haley Daily #7

Hello everyone,

It's a wonder how a month can fly by when you're busy growing new eyebrows, lashes, hair and oh yes, boobs!

I can't believe my mastectomy and reconstructive surgery was only four weeks ago. It feels like forever. Surgery was 7-1/2 hours long but thankfully I got to sleep through it...piece of cake. And my surgeons pulled off the perfect boob coup, if I do say. I actually woke up with cleavage...you heard me right, cleavage. Big bonus. Huge.

I survived the hospital for 4 long nights, with constant poking and prodding, icky hospital food and ridiculous early morning construction noise right next to my room...HELLOOOOO morphine drip. I was so happy to leave the hospital and recover at home with the loving help and superstar nursing of my Mom and cousin Hydie. As it turns out, I left the hospital with a new little friend...a staph infection. So I've been loaded up with all kinds of oral and IV antibiotics since then. I even had the unique pleasure of having an allergic reaction to one of the IV antibiotics...that sure was neat. And I "can't" have chocolate or wine with the oral antibiotic because I could feel flushed - oh come on. Needless to day, I successfully tested that hypothesis.

All in all, I'm feeling pretty darn good. Do I dare say I'm starting to feel like myself again? Not exactly "normal" yet, but then again that's all relative. I've regained full mobility in my arms. Ironically, my chest is pain free but my hips, oh my hips, they are so stiff. They say it could be a latent side effect of chemo, but I think it has more to do with age (ugh) and the fact that I haven't been allowed to really exercise yet. After surgery they say to take it easy for 6-8 weeks not to screw anything up.

Hopefully next week my reconstructive surgeon will start "expanding" my little booblets. I wonder, how big will I grow? And will it feel like 6th grade all over again? There's nothing like going through puberty again at the age of 36. Once I'm "fully grown" I undergo the 2nd reconstructive surgery where they exchange these expander boobs for silicon implants, the real deal...hubba hubba. If everything goes right, that should be at the end of April. I'll say my prayers.

Thank you all for your loving and supportive phone calls, emails, cards, and everything else! I couldn't have done so well without all that love and good stuff.

I hope you all are well and having a great 2007!!!

Love, Haley
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Haley Daily #8

Hello everyone,

At last, this Humpty Dumpty got put back together again. I had my last reconstructive surgery a week ago. I'm feeling great and I love my results. Next step is the "decorations" which will come in a couple of months. Bikini season, here I come!

I'm going back to work on Monday. I feel rested, recharged and ready.

I can't express how much I am looking forward to moving on with my life. I've come a long way. It amazes me to think that I had breast cancer. I had it. I often repeat that to myself because they are three powerful little words. They mean so many things to me. I had it. To think back brings such tears. They are tears of sadness, but also tears of immense joy. I know this because I find myself smiling, really smiling, at the very same moment, for the very same reason. I had it. I wonder when I will feel such joy again.

Thank you all for your incredible love and support over these past 8+ months. I am truly touched and so thankful to have the loving family and friends that I have. I couldn't have gotten through this without you. I love you all...

~ Haley

{design: speaking of Martha...}

2008-09-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Are you loving Eddie Ross on Top Design as much as I am? He formerly worked for Martha Stewart as the Senior Style Editor of Living, among many other fun things prior to that.

Check out his blog which has my other favorite blogger Habitually Chic shopping at a favorite NYC flea market together.

Where the heck was my invite??!!

I'm routing for Eddie to win Top Design... and if he doesn't, then the show is rigged (or they are discriminating against Martha).

{design: let's pretend we're Martha}

2008-09-27T17:22:00.001-07:00

and I don't mean prison, fraud, lying, etc. (even though the way my month has been going, that seems more logical). Let's go back to the days when Martha was still whittling away, making all her Christmas ornaments from string and pinecones. Okay, not that far back...

I'm talking about making beautiful fall themed table arrangements. I've realized that I don't want to be digging around my storage or closets for what I used last year, but a quick and easy (find at the grocery store) idea. I liked these pictured here from Better Homes and Gardens, and the last one, Martha, of course.

{design: great idea, candle sleeve covers}

2008-09-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

I recently saw these on another blog... can't find which one, but newly obsessed with changing out all my chandelier & sconce covers! I actually had a client ask me ages ago where to find fun, cool ones, and just shrugged (and thought he was being a little obsessive)...shhh.

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