Posts from travel (39)

Every so often I read about someone who has created a lifestyle and job that is so cool you just want to follow them around to see what a typical day is like.

Jim Denevan is one of those people. Landscape artist and founder of Outstanding in the Field, he leads a pretty interesting life. So much so that he has been featured in The Anthropologist for creating the world's largest piece of artwork on Siberia's frozen Lake Baika.

He creates art in nature to be captured in photos for the few hours it is visible before the elements destroy it forever.

Since 1999, his 'other job' involves traveling the country with Outstanding in the Field. Their mission "is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it".

Jim and his crew of 8 travel to farms, mountainsides, and cities and set up beautiful, long tables with crisp, white table cloths to feature amazing meals created from the local fare grown near or on-site. It's a tremendously detailed production and they work with local chefs and service providers to create something unique at each location. Can you even believe how awesome that is?! Look at these previous locations:

Dietzler Farm, Elkhorn, WI

Half Moon Bay, CA

Munson Farm, Boulder CO

There are a few dates left on their North American Tour that are not yet sold out. Check out dates and locations here.

If you are in NYC on the 10th, head on over to Anthropologie at 75 9th Street for Fashion’s Night Out. See Jim in action as he creates a new large-scale artwork during the event. There will also be a viewing of the documentary filmed by Meredith Danluck during their project in Siberia.

images c/o Jim Denevan and Outstanding in the Field

As in, the Martha.

The reason I've kept quiet on the blog about my sister's February wedding in Palm Springs is that shortly beforehand, we learned the event would appear in the Summer 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings! Now that the issue is on newsstands, I'm so excited to share these images with you (by the amazing Justine Ungaro), and dish a little on the festivities.

The Moroccan-inspired hotel facade at the Parker Palm Springs welcomed you (along with K and JP) to the ultimate desert retreat.

The invitation suite, custom-designed for the couple by NEAPOLITAN - and assembled by Sandy Gordon (our mom), Jo Rettberg (our grandma!), and me.

Kristen and bridesmaids, left to right: Sara Cook, Jenima Hadjian, Laura Naples, and Kate Davis. Not pictured: the adorable Molly Naples. Kristen wore the Billie dress by Melissa Sweet. Bridesmaids wore silk taffeta Gracen and Clementine dresses by J.Crew in Barely Peach (color no longer available online). And by the way, I ended up with these shoes.

The wedding program, which carried on the marbelized paper theme from the invitations, held by ringbearer Michalle Giorgi.

The bride and groom kissed after the wedding at Our Lady of Guadalupe church in Palm Springs.

The bride soaked in the desert sun on a chaise outside the Gene Autry house, which was the site of the evening's reception on the grounds of the Parker.

This same space was transformed for the evening by Artisan Events into a stylishly intimate dinner for 62. Tables showcased individual "trees" made of manzanita branches adorned with orchids and hanging votives. Each guest received a small favor card at their placesetting, which explained how a donation was made on behalf of all wedding guests to Atlanta Lab Rescue (along with silhouette portraits of the couple's two yellow labs, Halley and Lola).

The flowergirl - Catherine, me, and my little sister - the bride! Catherine and I wore matching fabric flowers in our hair.

More photos and descriptions of the event can be viewed online, or you can take a peek at the actual spread in the magazine - it's the Summer 2010 issue in the "Real Weddings" section.

A side note: I bought my first issue of Weddings when I was a senior in high school, and have collected issues ever since. The magazine had a tremendous impact on my decision to pursue design, and so for me, to see my family celebrating together in this issue is the ultimate thrill!

Congratulations again to Kristen and Jon Paul! Images by Justine Ungaro via Martha Stewart Weddings.

My incredibly stylish friend, Dorit Sade, started designing and making a line of handbags called Yoóbu (which means "To carry") during a several-months long stint in Senegal, West Africa with her twin sons. Here is an introduction to her work, which incorporates both traditional wax print textiles and artisan-crafted leathergoods.

When I arrived in Senegal I was blown away by the gorgeous outfits the women wore, made out of vibrant wax print fabrics. The patterns each tell some kind of story - proverbs, poems and traditional African fables. The colors also hold significance as they can represent social standing, age, tribal orientation and marital status.

My big AHA! moment came while reading a fashion magazine with a "Beach Style Must Haves" pictorial that featured a really pretty tote bag. I immediately thought, Hey! I can do something even nicer than that with all the amazing fabrics here! I also wanted to share the Africa that I was experiencing firsthand, a place filled with color and vibrance, music and extremely talented artists.

I immediately started working on some designs and set out to find materials. My fantastic Senegalese nanny, Mary, very quickly became my right hand woman in sourcing and negotiating in the local markets.

I met the talented Mr. Fallou Seye quite by accident one day when I stumbled upon his little leather shop on the side of the road. He agreed to make me the leather straps I need for my fabric bags.

One day I set out for his store only to find it missing. The Senegalese Government had come late one night and bulldozed all the shops in order to facilitate the widening of the road. I finally found him in a little shack way way back in the middle of nowhere, setting up his studio again. It broke my heart to see how someone's dreams and livelihood could be taken away in an instant and I felt this intense desire to help him find a way to rebuild his shop elsewhere. Fallou and I started brainstorming and came up with a line of leather bags to be lined in the vibrant African wax print fabrics.

One of the days that I will never forget is the day that I returned from a Valentine's Market at the Embassy, where I had sold a couple of leather bags. I went out to his studio and put a few hundred dollars in his hand. His face lit up and he had the biggest smile and all he said in his broken English was: Today is a good day.

Now back in the States, Dorit continues to create and sell bags in her shop. (I am partial to the clutch pictured at the top of the post!) As for future plans, Dorit hopes to eventually expand the line, and even open a little factory in Dakar to include a line of clothing and woman's sandals. After seeing what she's passionately put together in such a short period of time, I have no doubt she will realize her visions for Yoóbu.

Images from Yoóbu.

These beautiful and poignant images of the Haitian people post-earthquake were shot by LA and DC-based photographer, Justine Ungaro.

Justine recently traveled to Haiti with New Reality International. She documented not only the work done by her group of volunteers (which included providing medical care), but also the people - and particularly children - who continue to live there.

I appreciate how these images connect with the subjects' emotions - feelings that, almost implausibly, include joy. The bright colors and enormous smile on the beautiful woman above - a recent amputee - is one that sticks in my head; I find myself thinking about this particular woman often.

I was moved to tears when I first saw the tender gestures of both the doctor and the baby, above. What a moment, perfectly captured.

Upon returning from her trip, Justine (who also happens to be my sister's wedding photographer, and an absolutely lovely person) told me the rainy season has arrived early in Haiti, so NRI is now organizing a tent drive to shelter the still-homeless there. I encourage you to visit the website for information and guidelines on where and how to send tents.

Images by Justine Ungaro.

The latest issue of METROPOLIS Magazine arrived at our house last week, and I knew I was in for a treat when Jw said ::

The next time we go to New York, we should stay here...

I think the first words out of my mouth were something like, "hubba, hubba"... but not only is the new Crosby Street Hotel filled with amazing & eclectic interior design (c/o owners + designers, Tim and Kit Kemp), it's also a study in environmental sensitivity & neighborhood cooperation.

The Crosby will be LEED-certified and includes other eco-friendly perks like a rooftop garden that supplies produce to the kitchen. The Kemps also paid special attention to the needs of the surrounding community by regulating the placement and open hours of the outdoor spaces in the hotel, so as to not bother their SoHo neighbors.

All in all, it sounds (and looks) like an amazing place to stay... and I especially love this quote from Kit at the end of the article ::

If you?re traveling and you get homesick, or feel a bit lonely or down, you want an atmosphere that makes you feel happier. Often color and texture can do that.

I totally agree.

all images by Simon Brown; except for 1st image, by Sarah Palmer.

If you're in the Chicago area tonight, you should definitely come by Matilda's (3101 N Sheffield Ave, just 2 blocks south of the Belmont El stop!)...

OrangeBeautiful is co-hosting Meet Ups: Journeys and Journals with Sidedown and Blindsided Books to celebrate the launch of Jared Cohee's travelogue, Calm of the Niger: A Peaceful River Winding Through the Storm of Africa.

Meet the author & pick up a copy of Calm of the Niger for yourself! +Plus, we'll also have independent music, Sidedown's zine, HEY! Quarterly, as well as a limited edition batch of travel journals (made by yours truly!), all available for purchase. (Oh, and Monday night at Matilda's is $5 all-you-can-top burgers!)

And if all of that still isn't enough for you, I'm sharing with SCOOP readers only, that there will be a pre-sale of OrangeBeautiful's NEW CALENDARS at tonight's event! This will be the first time that they're available for sale (the official launch for online sales isn't until Thursday!), so if you've been itching to have one, and you're in town, drop by and get one before anyone else! (and no shipping costs!!!) -

For more information, and to see who's coming, VIEW THE INVITE.

If you can't make it, the book is available for PRE-ORDER here.
Sidedown Audio releases are available here.
and
OB's new calendars will be available this Thursday! (Sign up for a reminder)

images c/o Sidedown and Jared Cohee.

The past weekend I spent in NYC with three of my four best friends from high school. Though it wasn't a shop-till-you-drop type weekend (we had too much catching up to do for that), we did visit some boutiques that I'd wanted to see in person. One such was Pasanella & Son, a wine shop and enoteca located near the Seaport. (Check out its fabulous business card - printed on cork, backed with a magnet - perched atop a gorgeous little notebook I picked up at John Derian.)

For me, touring Pasanella & Son represented slightly more than browsing for luxury consummables, because the store is owned by designer Marco Pasanella and his wife, Rebecca Robertson Pasanella - who happens to be Deputy Decorating Editor at Martha Stewart Living (and former Senior Home Editor at Blueprint).

Among the gorgous array of wines (more on that below) were fixtures that seemed rather familiar. On second glance, my friend Lindsay helpfully pointed out that the emerald-and-yellow wingchair (above) appeared in a recent issue of Living. And I realized the amazing bench beneath a grid of displayed bottles was the same bench from my favorite oft-referenced Blueprint cover.

Be sure to check out They'll Drink to That, a guide to throwing a wine-tasting dinner that was shot in the space (and appeared in Blueprint Fall 2006), as well as Lofty Ambition, a tour of the Pasanella's renovated living space above the shop.

My adorable friends, leaving the store with our purchases, excited to...drink them.

On the shop's website is a fun-to-browse section called "As Good As They Look", devoted to beautiful bottles. Here are my picks based on display-worthiness, clockwise from top left: Blume Marillen Apricot Eau-de-Vie; Vinos de Terrunos Siete 7 2008 (I bought this); Descendientes de Jose Palacios Petalos 2006; Bols Genever Holland Gin; Corzo Tequila Reposado; Merieau Bulles Cremant de Loire 2006; St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur (this is delicious - highly recommend).

Images taken by me, except for the bottle images from Pasanella & Son.

Let the Chicago favorites keep comin'!... Pick list #10 is from Jess, the lead singer of the band Absinthe & The Dirty Floors. Jess has a great list, half of which are huge favorites of mine (hello, Violet Hour!), the other half are friendly reminders of places I definitely need to check out (Sweet Cakes' patio!) ...see if any of these peak your interest ::

1. FAVORITE SHOP/BOUTIQUE? (gift, clothing, design, etc.)

Reckless Records :: (3) locations | click here for details
Call me unoriginal, but there's nothing better than rifling through stacks of records next to cute hipster boys who thrive on the coolest band you've never heard of. A new record = happiness.

2. FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP/CAF??

Mercury Caf? :: 1505 W. Chicago Avenue, Noble Square

3. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?

Rose Angelis :: 1314 W. Wrightwood Avenue, DePaul/Lincoln Park
It's simply the best Italian food I've ever had. Located in the first floor of a house, you can wait in one of two bars across the street and they'll call you when your table is ready. Romantic, affordable, and the food is simply amazing.

4. FAVORITE BAKERY, SWEET SHOP or ICE CREAM PARLOR?

Sweet Cakes Bakery :: 935 N. Damen Avenue, Ukranian Village
(two words:) The patio.

5. FAVORITE "TOURIST-Y" DESTINATION? (that non-tourists love)

Chicago River Architecture Tour :: Chicago's First Lady Cruises
It never seems to get old.

ADDITIONAL FAVORITES YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?

The Violet Hour :: 1520 N. Damen Avenue, Wicker Park
They won't let you stand, you can't use your phone, they play Portishead's Third and you could have a mafia meeting with the Mayor and none would be the wiser...

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind :: 5153 N. Ashland Avenue, Uptown
30 plays in one hour, the price of a roll of the dice, and everyone gets pizza... and with the crew constantly writing new plays, it's a new show every time. Fantastic!

Thanks so much to Jess from Absinthe & The Dirty Floors for her picks... and if you love good music, definitely go here to listen to Absinthe's entire debut album, the Damen Stop.

top & bottom images c/o A&TDF
all other images are from the respective company's website or yelp* Chicago.

Unfortunately, last week was so terribly busy for me that the Chicago Picks series got a bit delayed... but no worries, I have several more lined up for this week! (Oh, and Jane from simple + pretty had the great suggestion to do some pick lists from fellow bloggers in other cities - so, that may be in the works next!)

Our next list maker is Hemmant Jha of thinkmore, inc. (and previously of think/thing - you remember this awesome car seat, don't you?)

Hemmant, an industrial designer and architect, is well-travelled, design-savvy and just nice (he brought paper back from India for me!) We've actually only had one in-person conversation (which, by the way, was almost entirely about "the death of GOCCO"), but I get the sense that he'd be a fan of some places around the city that I'll need to visit ::

1. FAVORITE SHOP/BOUTIQUE? (gift, clothing, design, etc.)

Patagonia :: 1800 N. Clybourn Avenue, DePaul/Lincoln Park
Lots of organic cotton and recycled material clothing - great staff, lifetime warranty on everything.

2. FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP/CAF??

Peet's Coffee & Tea :: 1000 W. North Avenue, Near North Side
Great espresso - and teas (lots of good tea)!

3. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?

Saint's Alp Teahouse :: 2131 S. Archer Avenue, Chinatown
Nice selection of bubble teas - and Hong Kong style platters of food... free wifi.

4. FAVORITE BAKERY, SWEET SHOP or ICE CREAM PARLOR?

Swirlz Cupcakes :: 705 W. Belden Avenue, Lincoln Park

5. FAVORITE "TOURIST-Y" DESTINATION? (that non-tourists love)

The Modern Wing at The Art Institute of Chicago :: 111 N. Michigan Avenue, Downtown
Best new modern building in Chicago in ages... (and) Intelligentsia Coffee.

ADDITIONAL FAVORITES YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?

Urban Belly :: 3053 N. California Avenue, Avondale
Excellent modern Korean food - good vibe.

Thanks so much to Hemmant for his pick list... and yes, I'm thinking about making a trip to Saint's Alp Teahouse just because it's so awesomely orange!...

Check out more about thinkmore, inc. here and check out Hemmant's blog here.

top & bottom images are by Hemmant Jha.
Modern Wing @ ArtIC pics are by Jw
and all other images are from the respective company's website or yelp* Chicago.

screen-printed mini journals, from Girl Metro, Inc.

I have so many more Chicago Picks lists to share with you!... I think I'll just keep posting 'em until someone tells me there sick of hearing about the great things in this amazing city!

There's been a lot of duplicate picks in the surveys (for example, Richelle's favorite sweet shop is Margie's Candies, a pick she shares with Sidedown Audio, and her favorite "tourist-y" destination is Millenium Park, which was also included in a.favorite's list) - below are Richelle's picks for Favorite Shop, Favorite Restaurant & an additional pick, our 'hood, Lincoln Square!

Enjoy!

FAVORITE SHOP/BOUTIQUE? (gift, clothing, design, etc.)

praha :: 3849 N. Lincoln Avenue, North Center

The two owners have an incredible eye for beautiful old things and new ones. The shop is chock full of furniture pieces they've collected on buying trips to Eastern Europe and here in the States, bits of miscellany that are perfect for your space and for gifts, and a thousand little treasures that you'll never find anywhere else. In addition, praha is on a block with several other little antique, vintage, and music shops and restaurants (as well as CB2!). So making the trip up to this part of North Center will make for a good couple of hours of shopping.*

FAVORITE RESTAURANT?

Hot Doug's :: 3324 N. California Avenue, Avondale

If you're a meat-eater in Chicago, chances are that you've at least heard of Hot Doug's... it's legendary. Doug's is really not about atmosphere, fine dining or your typical restaurant experience, but I'd choose to go there, hands down, over any place else in the city. I recommend ordering one of the special sausages. And "special" is the right word - my all-time favorites include a duck sausage foie gras, truffle aioli and sel gris (and) lamb & mint sausage with fresh feta and kalamata olives .... There's always a wait to order, sometimes up to 2 hours on a weekend. And the location isn't terribly convenient, but it is always worth the effort. If you happen to go on a Friday or Saturday, get the duck fat fries. Your diet might not thank you, but your tastebuds will.

ADDITIONAL FAVORITES YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?

Lincoln Square :: roughly 4400-5200 block of Lincoln Avenue, and the surrounding area...

I *heart* my neighborhood. The stretch of Lincoln Avenue, south of Lawrence & north of Montrose, has not only some fantastic restaurants (Caf? Selmarie and Bistro Campagne, for example), but fantastic little shops (ENJOY, the Dressing Room, Hanger18, TRAIPSE, etc.), bars (Huettenbar), and more!

inkless letterpress notesets, from Girl Metro, Inc.

Thanks so much to Richelle for her picks! I'm going to have to get myself to Hot Doug's ASAP! (even with that line! ;)

* In addition to what Richelle said about that 3600-4000 block of Lincoln Avenue... if you're in that area, definitely make a point to have lunch/dinner at either sola (3868 N. Lincoln) or Mrs. Murphy & Son's Irish Bistro (3905 N. Lincoln) - trust me, you'll be glad you did!

top & bottom images c/o girl metro.
all other images are from the respective company's website or yelp* Chicago.