My Ladies, part 2

Didn't know there was a part 2, did you? Neither did I! After I had posted about my ladies, my cousin called and told how she had been looking through old copies of McCall's Needlework magazines and found an article on how to make them!! So exciting! That issue had actually re-printed it from previous issue. So I started hunting around for the original article and I found it!!

McCall's Needlework and Crafts Spring/Summer 1963

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A Method to My Madness

You’ve probably seen the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It’s been a long time since I have seen it, but I remember John Candy trying to get somewhere (for Christmas?) and he has to take all these different methods of transportation. I can relate to that! I thought I would go over a few different weird ways to get around that I have come across in my travels....

...Want to hear more? Head over to Women Rockin' The Road, where I talk about huge mountains, strange animals, hitchhiking, fearing for your life and more! You can also read stories from other women travelers and you can contribute your own!

 Also, if you haven't seen it before, check out my post about 10 Interesting Things that I've seen on the road!

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 In honor of different methods of transportation, here are a few examples! 

Egypt - the true MINI van

India - Waiting for the train. 

India - Rickshaw Taxi

India - Fancy Bike

India - "Sleeper" train

Africa - Things you can buy from the bus

Nepal - The porters carry EVERYTHING on thier back!

Nepal - Yak power

Italy - Gondolier

 What is the weirdest method of transportation you have ever experienced? Have you ever ridden on a bus with a chicken? What IS the weirdest animal or thing you have shared a bus ride with?

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Hotel Spotlight: Colony Palms Hotel Part 2

After visiting Palm Springs for Modernism week back in February, I highlighted my visit to the Colony Palms Hotel.  So when Martyn Lawrence-Bullard returned to the hotel on last night's episode of Million Dollar Decorators to re-decorate the Palm D'Or (or what appears to be the Colony Palms Hotel version of the presidential suite), I was quite enamored.

Martyn describes the aesthetic of the Colony Palms as Spanish-Colonial-Meets-Moroccan-Totally-Delicious.  This choice of words aptly describes the hotel and probably beats out my description.  But you can see my original post on the Colony Palms Hotel here for my take on the property and for more photos.

Here is the finished Palm D'Or suite:

Images via Bravo

I was bummed to find out that next week marks the finale of the first season of Million Dollar Decorators.  Hopefully, it will return next season and not go the way of the other cancelled Bravo design shows: Top Design and 9 By Design!

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Iron Maiden

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PABLO AYALA 05

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Summer Fruit

I love this time of year, when most fruits are in season and I can eat blueberries, strawberries, peaches and raspberries to my hearts content. Since fruit is eatable it shows up in kitchen accessories, that means Aprons, among other things. Here are a few fun aprons to celebrate fruit.

Most of these aprons are on my to-do list! :-)

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Ten on Tuesday (17)

These questions were hosted by Chelsea and brought to you by...yours truly!

1. When you are on a plane and the kid behind you is kicking your seat, what do you do?
I WANT to turn around and yell at the mother to pay attention because her kid is being rude and annoying but usually I do nothing. If it goes on for a while I will turn around and give them both the stink eye. That's the most confrontational I get.

2. What food that you KNOW is bad for you and you shouldn't have, but you love/eat it anyway?
I love a Starbucks coffee. I try to only indulge once in a while. It's as many calories as a meal!

3. What is your favorite book of all time?
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. I also loved The Hobbit.

4. If I came to visit you in your town, where would we eat?
If you came to San Francisco, we would have a snackapalooza and go to Turkish food, Peruvian food and Mexican food (Ala Turka, Limon & Pancho Villa) and maybe to Michells ice cream for desert.

5. You have 500 dollars and 40 minutes to spend it at any store you want. Where do you go?
REI. And I could probably spend it in about 4 minutes!

6. What blog do you read every day/the most often?
S&R, Lisa's Yarns, A Little Light Reading, KTs Refinishing School, Dude & Sweeties, Yep They Are All Mine.... There are a few more, but since the questions says what "blog" I guess I will stop now.

7. What's the longest you've ever been stuck at an airport?
Well, one weekend I flew Back East from New Orleans and I didn't get there until about 3 am. Then on Sunday when I went to fly home, it was the same thing...so...maybe 10 hours the first day, 8 the second. That weekend was way more airport/plane time than fun time, that is for sure!

8. What's your daily makeup/face/cleansing routine?
Nothing. I take a shower at night after I run. If I am going out, I may put on makeup, but every day, nada.

9. Where is your farthest away friend?
Really GOOD friend -- probably CA or MA (from where I am now!) but I have friends in many places around the world. Probably Australia would be the farthest.

10. Where is your favorite place to go hiking (or to enjoy nature)?
Sierra Nevada Mountains! Represent! 

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Secrets from a Stylist + Design Star

My hands down favorite show on HGTV is Secrets from a Stylist (followed by Selling New York).   Hosted by Emily Henderson, after winning last season of Design Star (I rooted for her all season), her presence on HGTV is a breath of fresh air.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, I love her style diagnostics where Emily sums up your style after you pick a few choice objects: the objects are always different whether it is a set of tiles, flowers, or wallpaper.  Saturday night, she summed up a couple's style after having them choose their favorite towel and chair from a set of miniature dollhouse chairs complete with Eames recreations.  I often pause the TV and have my husband pick out his object to see if our tastes match.  My husband is such a good sport to be subjected to most of my TV whims :)

Then, she diagnosis your style based on these items and sets out to design a room first by incorporating only one style and then layering in the second style to create two complete looks.  Emily Henderson also documents a lot of her sources on her blog, Style by Emily Henderson, after the show airs.  The second season of Secrets from a Stylist just debuted on Saturday night, and I think Emily Henderson hit it out of the park with the first renovation of a Master Bedroom.  Here are some of her past designs:

Images via HGTV

 Last night, the new season of Design Star started, did you watch?  Who is your early pick for this season's winner?

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Sun Diego

There are so many reasons to fall in love with San Diego, California. The perfect climate. The pristine beaches and ancient bluffs. The sublime sunsets over the mighty Pacific Ocean. Torrey Pines State Reserve. The Gaslamp Quarter. Balboa Park. But it is the palm trees that always get to me. Even though most of them were imported in the 1920s and 30s, for me Southern California is defined by the sun drenched palm tree swaying against the backdrop of a powder blue sky.

Change is the only constant in life and no people embrace change more than Californians. When you live with earthquakes, mudslides and wildfires you learn to live in the moment and meditate on the temporary nature of all things.

There was change on my visit to San Diego. The Flower Hill Mall movie theater in Del Mar is shuttering after giving North County San Diegans thirty years (ten as an Ultrastar chain) of art house films and the latest blockbusters. It is being replaced by a Whole Foods Market.

More change as the Del Mar Highlands Town Center is undergoing a major renovation and expansion. The UltraStar Cinemas there will be adding new auditoriums and there will be a new courtyard and fountain, along with new shops and restaurants. The expansion will replace the auditoriums lost from the closing of the Flower Hill theater.

What better way to spend the Fourth of July then at the sun-soaked SoCal beach. In this case, a walk on the sand at Del Mar Shores in Solana Beach. Enjoy the pictures.

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