sour and sweet

how's this for life giving you lemons...our flight to paris was cancelled due to volcanic ash...seriously? oui, seriously. so rather than joining the thousands of people at the mercy of an angry geyser of lava, we decided not to try and force this trip right now.

instead, we took those lemons and made margaritas -- we went to mexico!

yet another lesson from the universe that the best laid plans (even those of the seventeen page variety, for example) can disappear in an instant. as my bff bethenny (a margarita maven herself) says, "we plan and god laughs."

but it's also a reminder that the unravelling of a plan can yield another great one.

btw, mazel bethenny!

don't forget to check in each morning for a new post while i'm gone.

photo from exeter township

take me there

okay, so first order of business today...get me to this porch. it belongs to india hicks, daughter of famed interior designer david hicks and herself a model, entrepreneur, bravo's top design host and true island living guru. included in her island empire, india has several properties on harbour island and windermere island in the bahamas which are rentable and gorgeous. she lives on harbour island full-time in a house called hibiscus hill with her husband and four children, including a daughter named domino.

oh and by the way, she's also written books on island design and island beauty, co-owns a boutique and has created two cosmetics line with crabtree and evelyn called india hicks island living and india hicks island night. but that's it. other than that she's a bum.

anyway, i wanted to show you some pictures of her home which i think are just beautiful. so understated and lovely and authentic. her home looks tropical and island-style, for sure, but not in the overdone, overly colorful style you might find at an all-inclusive resort. now don't get me wrong, i love that style too for a vacation, but if i were to live on an island, this would be more my speed. how about you?



i think these photos are a good reminder that in any setting, the same truths apply - well-chosen pieces, eclectic style and seasonal and environmental elements make for beautiful design.

all photos from www.apartmenttherapy.com

stay the night (or forever)

my visits to the emerson resort have introduced me to a feeling of...how should i say it...never wanting to leave the hotel i'm staying in. yeah, that works. and so when i came upon a few pictures of the crosby street hotel right here in new york, i felt phantom "never want to leave" pangs, even though i'm not staying there (but i SHOULD be).

i just had to share with you how gorgeous every space in this boutique hotel is. here is how firmdale hotels, the british company which owns the crosby, puts it: "hotels should be living things, not stuffy institution... kit kemp [one of the owners] has designed all of the interiors in a fresh contemporary english style. her mixture of colour and texture, modern and antique together with an impressive art collection, has combined to create a unique look and style."

TRUE THAT.

the common areas of the hotel include the lobby, a bar where all-day afternoon tea is served in the english style, a private garden, a drawing room where one can also enjoy their tea, private meeting and event rooms, a screening room and a gym, all impeccably appointed in the most non-hotel hotel style i've ever seen, and one of the first LEED certified hotels in new york city. to me, a place like this being green makes it infinitely better.

i'd be pretty thrilled if i arrived on a soho street (best neighborhood for shopping and dining in nyc, many would say) and checked into this lobby. you?

and the rest of the guest common spaces are just as interestingly appointed. what's nice is that the whole hotel gives the vibe of a very cool home - collected over time, not out of a single catalog page like some decor can be - especially hotel decor.

and then, and THEN...the guest rooms. there are 96 rooms and suites, each uniquely decorated with such whimsy and charm that i just feel like i want to stay in every room. here are a just a few...

now of course, this kind of style doesn't come cheap, but i know you could have guessed that. so especially if you live in new york, and winning the lottery isn't an experience you've had, you might not end up staying here. i feel you.

but i will definitely be keeping the crosby street hotel in mind for something like a small-scale baby or bridal shower - like a lady's tea or brunch. (i wasn't crazy about the way their wedding ceremonies or receptions looked and they're probably mara lago kind of money anyway).

all photos from www.firmdale.com

yes please!

how covetous are these faux-fur duffels from pottery barn? i so want one. don't they look like just the thing for a trip to a hotel like the one below? i could just see checking in with my apres-ski vibe (though in truth, it would be more like sans-ski for me).

or someplace like this, the banff springs fairmont.

as if the settings weren't gorg enough, i think the faux-fur duffel would just seal the deal. and i feel i'd be doing you a disservice if, while we're on the topic, i didn't share with you the view, ever-so-faintly visible, out the window of charlotte moss's aspen home.

and did i mention her deck in the sky?

i mean REALLY.

photos from www.potterybarn.com, http://www.starwoodhotels.com/, www.clippervacations.com, www.betacell.org, www.about.com, http://www.pointclickhome.com/