My friend, the über talented (and cute!) photographer Patrick Cline- one half of the duo that founded Lonny- saw this Sketch graffiti scribbled on a door while traveling, took a photo and sent it to me. I totally LOVE IT! I should print it and hang it somewhere in my apartment.

Patrick literally can’t take a bad picture… Not even of a door with scribble on it. And speaking of, this month’s Lonny is out and its packed with Moroccan gloriousness and now Morocco is officially at the top of my travel to do list. It’s  now tied with the Amangiri for first place. Maybe I’ll go this summer? That would be amazing.

Check out the rest of the new Lonny HERE. Have a great weekend!

Holy crap, I think my brain just popped. Someone that I follow on Instagram just went here, to the Amangiri in Canyon Point, Utah It’s situated in the  Navajo Desert against the natural rock formations of the Four Corners (the region where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico meet).

I’ve been looking at these photos for days and emailing them to my husband randomly throughout the day. I guess it’s fitting that I’m posting desert photos considering it’s the evening of Passover tonight… you know, when our forefathers spent  40 years in the desert, wandering! Only, Im guessing it was not *quite* this comfortable.

This is a fantasy land… It’s so good, I can’t believe its real.  I’ve officially just added this place to my bucket list. Some version of Arizona has always been on my bucket list, along with a cross country road trip. We drove the up the California coast last spring and it was unforgettably awesome. The majesty of America is something I think I’ve somehow overlooked. I’ve traveled way more outside the US than I have inside of it, and man, looking at these photos, that seems like a shame.

The Amangiri is part of the Aman group, and the name means Peaceful Mountain. It’s nestled in a valley and it has sweeping views of the canyons and plateaus. The architecture was done by Rick Joy, Wendell Burnett & Marwan Al-Sayed, the interiors were done by Caterina Spies-Reece of CSR Design  / Amanresorts. The hotel, made of bold concrete blocks, and slightly informed by traditional Native American design. I think the architecture is so triumphantly minimal, so respectful and reverent to  the landscape, it’s breathtaking in every way.

I went a little photo happy on this post, I just couldn’t limit myself in choosing these photos! See more after the jump…

Check out the Amangiri website for more info… and if any of you go or have gone, please let me know!

The American Southwest is so what I’m about right now… Whats on your bucket list?

Photos via The Amangiri, and Yatzer.

I’m back from Miami… a trip so short you barely knew I was gone – and yet, I feel like a new woman! Totally refreshed, revitalized and re-zested. Taking a break can work wonders.

The W Hotel

I also read The Happiness Project on the beach… Amazing how the things you need find you, right when you need them most, right?

I mean- Last week’s post was almost THE EXACT SAME description that Gretchen Rubin gives of herself at the start of her book! I feel like  The Happiness Project deserves its own post… so stay tuned!

In the meantime, glad to be back!

Photos by Moi: Christine Chaize, Massimo Vitali style photography is all the rage these days… a poor man’s version is pretty easy to do if you frame the shot nicely (which I didn’t) and overexpose a little bit… and I was inspired by the blog Patternity to take this photo of the facade of The W Hotel. 

Wha? Wha? 

“You enter the 18th century building on a quiet small, 1 block street in the Marais through black iron doors with rows of horizontal pin dot holes and up the winding, highly polished wooden staircase. Once inside, the apartments are pristine with concrete floors and all your favorite mid-century modern furniture designs including Jean Nouvel, Marc Newsom, and Arne Jacobsen, all from Azzedine’s private collection. They have full kitchens and state of the art electronic toys including a printer/scanner, high-speed internet access, flat screen television and a Bang & Olufsen entertainment center.”

“The prices start at 450 euros a night and increase 50 euros for each additional guest.”

” There is a1 one bedroom apartment, and 2 two-bedroom apartments.”

Honey- can you get on this? I still haven’t seen Versailles

Photos and text from HERE.

Not just any farm, the oldest continually opperating farm in NY state, AND what is I’m pretty sure, the only (or one of the only) farms in NYC. Its in Queens and its called Queens County Farm. There is actually a farm museum on premises too.

Now, Im a born and bred New Yorker, so I dont really have that many farm experiences in my memory box, but really, this one had everything I could ever IMAGINE  I would want…

(Warning: All photos from my instagram,so this might be redundant to you. Until I get a new camera this is all I got. Meanwhile, you can follow me on insta HERE so you can witness this stuff in real time.)

Corn Maze… and would you look at that sky? Perfect fall sky… and this photo didnt even have a filter. 

Pumpkin patch

Petting Zoo…all the animals seemed healthy and well taken care of, not like some of those party rental petting zoos. 

Horses in silhouette… 

Cows. 

A sheep being shorn! That was so awesome to watch! I also met a spinning wheel maker and saw some wool being spun. 

Right out of Sleeping Beauty.

Porky… 

Wine grapes on the vine…

Picturesque farm house…

There was really so much more to see and do… hayride, live band, fresh corn on the cob etc etc… and obviously, I enjoyed myself more than the kids (just kidding they LOVED it.) All in all, a perfectly Fall Fall day.

If you live in or around NYC, I highly recommend! Check out their website HERE. 

Try to ignore the utlra frizzy hair. It was drizzling and I was hung over.

So, this year, Im finding out that a lot of the worst kept secrets in the world are true: Paris is gorgeous. Everyone says it, and its true. (Also just learned that about California. And what? How have I never been to both of those places until now? I usually like to do more exotic trips- like to Asia, South America, Africa. Silly me. You dont have to travel far to find beauty. In fact, you really dont have to go anywhere!)

Ok, so you know how I broke my G11 last week? Well, I didnt want to buy another camera yet because the G13 is about to come out, so we borrowed one, and my husband dropped that one too! DAMN IT! So basically all I have is iphone pictures, and the pictures my friends took. It was an anniversary trip, but a few couple friends of ours decided to join along too. Normally, I approach “vacation” like its a job- go  and see everything now/you will sleep when you are dead mentality. But traveling with friends made it a totally different trip. I was always jealous of people with their friends when I went on my alone trips. It looked so fun to be part of a party of people laughing. And thats what this trip was: the eating/drinking/ laughing/enjoying tour of Paris. Seriously, we were out so late every night that we never even adjusted to French time!

Anyway, Thank Man for instagram and get ready for gorgeous overload. I’ll talk a little about each photo so you can get more info about the trip.

Tuileries Garden. Hands down one of the most beautiful places in Paris. One day, when I build my country house- I WILL have gardens like these. Wild, but organized. Dont even get me started on the rooftops…. Ahhhh! 

The view from my room. 

Riding bikes on the Boulevard St Germain. The left bank kind of reminds me of the West Side of NYC for some reason… Riding a bike is the most amazing way to see the city.

One of the things that makes Paris so beautiful, its organized looking. The buildings are all the same height, the roofs are all the same, the facades similar. Consistency and repetition reinforce the gorgeousness of the design. 

Every door is unique and beautiful. 

Streets of Paris…. The street style is a little more subdued than in NYC. Women are a little fancier. Here are some things I noticed about Paris fashion: Its a little more feminine. At night, more girls wear skirts, and poufy skirts too. Its a little less colorful. More girls have curly hair (I notice this because I have curly hair!) and also, the girls love polka dots. OH! And remember how I wrote a post about leather patched shirts and coats? Well, every single shirt or coat in every store has leather on it somewhere. Its trendy x 1000. 

The floors at Napoleons Apartments in the Louvre. My favorite section of the Louvre. I will have floors like this one day. 

Skies. It was really truly Fall in Paris. Temps in the 60s and 70s, perfect city weather.

The Herringbone floors  of my dreams.

I took this photo of this adorable toddler in the park. Normally, I do NOT dig the Bonpoint gray and charcoal color scheme for my kids. I like children to wear colorful and sweet clothing…. BUT, after looking at french kids all week and then getting a picture of my kid in a hot pink Hello Kitty sweatshirt- my brain almost exploded at the sight. Give me elbow patches and grays any day over Hello Kitty! 

Door obsessions… 

Painting inspiration, Matisse. 

Clubbing at L’arc. Literally the most beautiful people I have ever seen in one room. I dont know what it is, but the club was filled with faces, pristine faces, everyone was the best looking person I have ever seen. And not in the traditionally beautiful way, although they were undeniably gorgeous, but also interesting-good looking. I dunno… how do the french have such good looking people? And whats more- how do they smoke, drink and party all night and still have such dewy fresh skin? After two days I started breaking out! Anyway, we were supposed to go to versaille the day after this club. And at one point my husband looked at me and said ” Versailles will always be there, but we will never be this cool again in our lives.” Hahahahah!! Im definitely not that cool. Ever. (Go look at L’arc’s facebook photos from that night if you dont believe me. No seriously, go look. HERE.)

Off we went to the after hours spot until 6am. So no Versailles. I feel really bad that I missed it. But now I HAVE to go back, and soon. Like its my job. 

Rothko, up close and personal. 

Flea Market silverware. 

Art inspiration. 

Bike riding. The only – and BEST way to see the city. I cant wait until the bike renting system comes to NYC! 

At night. 

By day. 

Sunset. 

And thats all folks… As gorgeous as Paris is, and as much as I wasnt ready to come home (except that I missed my kids), going away made me see the beauty of my own city… A grittier, harsher city no doubt, but one that is a constant challenge, a heaving, panting beast of a city that keeps you on your toes and has a magic all its own. 

(Photo source)

That’s where you come in: Ideas, restaurants, tips, shopping, flea markets… FILL ME IN! I want to know everything. All I’ve done so far is downloaded the Lonely Planet guide on my iPhone.

Im all about packing it in, so I need to hear everything you all have to say about Paris!

OK, shoot!

Why dont you do what this dude did, rent a house, put all the original contents into storage and turn it into a “Surf Shack” for your employees to retreat to every weekend.

(Guests often sleep in these tepees!)

From the NYTimes:

Richard Christiansen, founder of Chandelier Creative, a buzzy Manhattan ad agency with a focus on fashion, turned a summer rental in Montauk, N.Y., into a weekend outpost for his staff. He removed the owners’ possessions (photographing, bubble-wrapping and placing each object in storage) and made a surf-themed set: the Chandelier Surf Shack. 

Here is how to have the best summer ever:

Buy all new colorful sheets.

Name your car: This Ford is named  ”Kelly” after, you guessed it, Kelly Bean head Kelly Bensimon.

Take everything you have out of storage and buy more stuff at anthro.

Plant the right stuff so that the honey you grow in your beehives will taste right. 

 Harvest that honey!

Surf!

How CAMPY! Bunk Beds!

Movie Night. 

Sitting on the dock of the bay.

How to have the best summer ever. Period. Its like summer camp for adults!

Read the article and see more photos HERE.