Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica, Ca.

Recently my brother got married at the Casa del Mar in Santa Monica. I must admit that I haven't spent a lot of time in Santa Monica and I wasn't too sure what to expect from the hotel. It's got a lot of history and the main areas have a bit of an art deco feel to them. And then they take you to your room...



Well, hello dolly! Treat me to an oceanview room that looks like this anyday. While certainly a bit more traditional than our typical style, Mr. Big and I fell right in sync with the hotel.

Darrell Schmitt Design Associates remodeled the hotel in the past few years...and wow...it certainly impresses. It's difficult to tell in the following photo, but the Catch Restaurant and Wine Bar, is a design dream. Covered in creams, pale blue, and natural accents, I was in heaven. It may seem odd, but they had some of the greatest chairs that I've seen.


Best of all? The staff of the hotel were fantastic. I'm not sure if it was because we were there for a wedding or what, but they took amazing care of us. Room rates definitely aren't cheap, but if you can get a promotion, it's not to be missed. I would definitely return for a little R&R in the future.

(PS. The runs on the beach in the morning were fab!)

DecoDomo in Zurich

Last week I had a challenging week of work in Switzerland with lots of meetings, lunches and dinners....and window shopping of course. After meeting countless clients and contacts, the end of the week found me headed back to the hotel fairly drained. Well, so drained that I unexpectedly stumbled (i.e. curiously ventured down various alleyways) into DecoDomo in Zurich. Perfect find!

With a window display full of Designer's Guild fabrics and colerful pottery, they had me at hello. Inside, they introduce you to a perfectly styled mixture of morrocan, asian, english, french, and everything-else-good-that-I-could-ever-imagine design.



They carry Mateus pottery, which is designed in Sweden, produced in Portugal, and soon to be enjoyed in our house...at least in the form of espresso cups anyway (sans the lacy saucer). Without the handle, they can easily be stacked and tucked away. We had been looking for something unique for a while and these perfectly fit the bill.



Their pillow selection, presumably mainly from Designer's Guild, was top notch. Their furniture was unique without being too "out there". They had great morrocan and other motif tray tables that could fit many places in a home. The shelves were filled with all sorts of other goodies, from reasonably priced porcelin bowls to decorative stands to beautiful morrocan lights.

Overall, it was unique to find a small shop that carried off so many different styles so successfully. And of course, they were as nice as you can image. If you are ever in Zurich in search of a fun design store, perhaps a stroll through the street will lead you to DecoDomo.

A two hour workout...really?

Last month, Mr. Big and I hit up Las Vegas for a good friend's 40th birthday party. It was a huge reunion with great friends and in a location to have some f-u-n. Mr. Big is a bit tentative about Las Vegas (he's only been there once before), while I was raring for a good time. So you can only imagine his absolute shock when I voluntarily spent at least two hours working out at the gym each day. (That is not typical of me at the moment).

You see, we didn't really understand the whole concept behind Green Valley Ranch Resort before getting there. It's an off-strip resort that is designed to the nines. Rates are reasonable along with normal prices for food, goods, spa treatments, etc. (I feel so uncomfortable paying the ridiculously high prices at the fancy hotels on the strip). And bonus, the casino is fun! We certainly ventured to the strip...but ended up having just as much fun at Green Valley.


But then they throw in one of the most beautiful spas that I've ever experienced. And it's not one of those places where you have to have a treatment to enjoy the amenities. If you're staying there, it's yours to enjoy. (And I did!)


L-o-v-e-l-y. (Apparently lovely enough that I whipped out my camera!). And don't worry, I still rallied for the casino. Mr. Big's first trip to the craps table proved quite profitable.


After being really skeptical about the resort at first, we had a blast. Definitely worth a try!

Cotton Tree

There's been buzz on the street recently about a new boutique hotel that opened up at the tip of the island. For years, there really has been nothing but large hotels so the presence of a boutique bed and breakfast has been sorely missing. Last night I took my first peak at their website and the property looks so impressive. Go Cayman!

Discovering Eva Solo

The first evening after arriving in Stockholm, my client's suggeted a stop into Nordiska Kompanient, the largest department store in the city. Besides carrying virtually all the retailers from surrounding shops in one spot, it is just a gorgeous building. Wow.

And the stop surely didn't disappoint. One of the lines that I discovered is called Eva Solo, which is a Dutch design company. There were so many fun items that it was difficult to just choose one. Any votes on which of the following will end up traveling back to Cayman with me?

Functional yet funky stainless and plastic bread boxes

Soap magnet that allows soap to dry quickly

Stylish dishcloth that can stay out or get tossed in the washer

Pure torture

I am headed to Stockholm next week for work...and was unable to arrange my flights to allow for an extra day to play (shop). How did I allow this to happen? And I'm traveling with a staff member so it's not like I can play hooky one afternoon. I should set a good example and all that "grown up" nonsense.

In searching for information on the city, I came across a beautiful blog, Emma's DesignBlogg. Images of me scrambling to explain why I absolutely must enter the shop that has this rug in the window has me worried. Very, very worried.


Wish me luck. Lots of it.

Hammock time

We spent our holiday in Puerto Vallarta with my parents, brother, sister-in-law, and her parents. We had a lovely time full of sailing, whale watching, golfing, shopping, tequila tasting, and pretty much everything else that you can get up to in Mexico.

One morning, Mr. Big and I ventured into town with my parents via water taxi. Just to get you in the mood for this post, I thought you might want a little taste of the ride.

Yes, it really was that pretty....

Once we reached town, I peered over into the garden of one of the hotels and immediately fell in love with their hammocks...of all things.


Aren't these beautiful? The lacy sides are unique and slightly romantic set off against the green lawn. (Although the front one doesn't seem like it would be all that comfortable once you got in...with your bum on the ground and all).

Well, I'm sure that you can imagine what happened next...Mr. Big had to put up with my hunt for the perfect "lacy" hammock through the markets. At the end of the day, we ended up with a beauty for around $88. I cannot wait to get it up.


But don't fret, Mr. Big didn't miss his special find of the day. Although his was a bit less expensive ($2), equally as authentic (also purchased from a street vendor), it was easier to manuever with (gone instantly).


Yes, you can purchase marlin and shrimp on a stick for $2 (check out the size of the fillets he uses for each one...unbelievable). Mr. Big and my parents swore by it. I may be able to recreate the hammock, but odds are stacked against me on the fish-on-a-stick find. :)

Home sweet home

Two and a half weeks of vacation just thrilled us with visits to Santorini, Athens, Istanbul and a cruise of the Black Sea. Wow. We saw places, buildings, and ruins that were simply unforgettable. And we learned so much about different cultures. I look forward to sharing with you over the upcoming few days and weeks. This was truly a vacation to grow on...

...but I'm glad to be home. For the first time since I can remember, I was eagerly anticipating our return. Really seeking the comfort of our little life. Maybe it was the little pup or the new house or perhaps a curiosity about how much our grass had grown ? (The question did cross my mind) Whatever it was (and no disrespect to the amazing places that we visited), I was so happy to run through our front door yesterday. I suppose that is a good sign.

Just to give give you all a quick taste, buckle your seat belts as we travel to Oia, Santorini in the Greek Isles. Because the rest of our hotels on the trip were free via miles, we splurged and stayed at the new Mystique resort.

Believe it or not, that is not a stock photo. It's so beautiful there that even amateurs can get this.

View from the bathroom...no joke.

Two very happy friends.

Okay, enough about the views. Onto the incredible decor of Mystique. The moment I arrived, I was certain that I had died and gone to heaven. The entire resort was done in neutral creams, whites, embroidery...and driftwood! Bits of modern mixed in with natural and casual. And styled so perfectly...so simply. Well, for my taste anyway.

Bathroom

Cool driftwood lamps everywhere

Gorgeous textiles

It may look plain here, but it was so serene in person

And one last pretty to sigh to together. Heaven.