December 2025 – Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

Musings: Festive Footsteps

Walking among the Inn crowd

Every year in Palm Springs around the holidays, a handful of cool, distinctive boutique hotels, otherwise referred to as “Inns” open their doors to welcome visitors for a “walk of the Inns” experience. It’s where each footstep carries with it a little story.

Some of the Inns offer warm cookies and cider and you can hang out at one Inn or go all Inn– each one is unique. We had a cocktail at one place because we didn’t want to leave.

I love how ambiance can evoke exotic, modern or vintage vibes. It’s an overall feeling of a place. It’s deeply associated with atmosphere, mood, and even spiritual perception. Like when you’re still in Palm Springs (not a bad place to begin with) but feel as if you’re in Morocco. It’s not just decoration or lighting; it’s the invisible quality that shapes how people experience a space. Atmosphere is the external setup (think lighting, sound, scent), while ambiance is the internal response the feeling those elements create.

Until last week, I thought I’d already seen as I would all the hidden gems in this resort town. There were four places on the list that I’d never been to before and two I’d never even heard of before. From mid-century modern to Mediterranean, it’s a great way to experience the spectacular architecture that makes Palm Springs famous. Better to do so with friends. I went with Tammy & Patricia. And it’s so nice around the holidays especially because decorations are plentiful and people are generally in better moods.
Places and description of each place are at bottom of the page with link to websites. I put asterisks by the ones that were my first visit.

We ended our walk at the Palm Springs Woman’s Club where there was a silent auction and bake sale complete with a bunch of exceptional looking gingerbread houses. Then burgers at The Avalon – not on the list this time, but a lovely boutique hotel and spot to sit and dine.

The INN list:

Casa Cody

The oldest operating hotel in Palm Springs, it was founded by Buffalo Bill Cody’s libertine cousin, Harriet. Charming and beautiful, Casa Cody boasts 2 pools, a charming eatery, and historical adobe buildings. It’s a favorite.

https://palmspringspreferredsmallhotels.com/hotels/casa-cody-country-inn/

*Talavera Palm Springs

This Boho chic boutique hotel offers an intimate escape that is perfect for romance, personal retreats, and solo travelers. Every room boasts a private hot tub.

https://palmspringspreferredsmallhotels.com/hotels/talavera-palm-springs/

*Lucille Palm Springs

Reimagined in 2023, but with a history that stretches back over 100 years. Originally built in 1921, the hotel has been welcoming guests for a century, including Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who frequented the hotel with their family.

https://palmspringspreferredsmallhotels.com/hotels/lucille-palm-springs/

*Korakia Pensione

Located at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains, in Downtown Palm Springs, Korakia offers a unique and seductive retreat from day to day reality. The historic property says it “blends the silhouette of Tangier with a whisper of the Mediterranean,” and is the perfect escape.

https://palmspringspreferredsmallhotels.com/hotels/korakia-pensione/

*Old Ranch Inn

A quintessential small Palm Springs hotel, this charming property embodies the casual nature of Palm Springs with a touch of western flair.

https://palmspringspreferredsmallhotels.com/hotels/old-ranch-inn/

Holiday House

Reimagined by interior designer Mark D. Sikes, the property features mid-century inspired elements combined with a communal atmosphere and whimsical edge. The design centers around Gio Ponti inspired tile-work in the bar and artwork throughout. They host a monthly fried chicken communal dinner and taco Tuesdays.

https://palmspringspreferredsmallhotels.com/hotels/holiday-house-palm-springs/

Ingleside Estate

The Ingleside Estate went back to its roots. In the 1920s, the Spanish Colonial Revival-style property was owned by a wealthy automaker, but it was transformed in the 1930s by Palm Springs pioneer Ruth Hardy. Fun fact: I met late-owner Mel Haber at a party in Melvyn’s lounge honoring Frank Sinatra’s 100^th birthday. Of course Frank wasn’t there, but a lot of other interesting people who knew and/or worked with him were, and the martinis were good.

https://palmspringspreferredsmallhotels.com/hotels/ingleside-inn/

*Amin Casa Hotel

Embodying the luxury of life in Palm Springs, this impressive property is dated to the 1920’s and ’30’s and was once the Palm Springs home of Hollywood screen legend and award-winning actress Gloria Swanson. This one was on the list but the doors were closed (not sure why – maybe it was rented out to people who didn’t want people shlepping through the property – but you can make sure I’ll go back).

https://palmspringspreferredsmallhotels.com/hotels/amin-casa-2/

Walk of the Inns 2025:

https://palmspringspreferredsmallhotels.com/walk-of-the-inns-2025/

Header Photo taken at Villa Royale – d. king

Food + Drink

Sipping Smarter – uncorking the truth about wine.

It pays to be informed. Discovering what’s really in your glass will make you more aware of what goes from vineyard to bottle.

Since I’m in California for 5 months a year, I’ve sampled a lot of wine from here. Over time I’ve discovered that there’s something like 70 additives (such as sugar, concentrates, color, tannins, etc.) that can be legally added to wine because U.S. regulations allow over 60 approved additives in winemaking, and vineyards frequently use herbicides like glyphosate to control weeds. These practices aim to stabilize, preserve, and standardize wine, but they also introduce residues and additives that natural or “clean” wine brands avoid.

Wellness is very important now, and consumers care what they put in their bodies. There should be more transparency. People are starting to drink less, but they can also drink better.

The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) authorizes more than 60 substances for winemaking. These include stabilizers, preservatives, clarifying agents, and flavor enhancers such as sulfur dioxide, albumen (egg whites), and other compounds. Many consumers are unaware of these chemicals because wine labels don’t list additives. Advocates of “clean wine” argue that these substances compromise health and authenticity.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is widely used in California vineyards to control weeds. Studies have found glyphosate residues even in organic-labeled wines, due to drift from nearby conventional farms.

Large-scale, commercial wineries almost always use labs. Small-scale natural winemakers often skip lab testing.They rely on traditional methods, sensory evaluation (taste, smell, sight), and minimal intervention. Large-scale producers often rely on additives to ensure consistency across batches. This includes chemicals for color correction, tannin adjustment, and preventing spoilage. Smaller “natural” winemakers typically avoid these interventions.

Even when vineyards try to minimize chemical use, surrounding agricultural activity can lead to contamination. Glyphosate and arsenic residues have been detected in multiple California wine brands.

So there you go. Better to be informed than clueless.

If you’re looking for wines with the least chemicals, focus on organic and biodynamic producers in Europe (France, Italy, Spain) & South America (Chile, Argentina), plus New Zealand.

These regions combine tradition, regulation, and climate advantages to produce wines with fewer additives and cleaner profiles.

In Canada, we’re lucky to have Summerhill/Pyramid winery in Kelowna (Okanagan), British Columbia. Probably the “cleanest” wine you can drink (link below).

After doing my research, I recently bought a bottle of Avaline white wine. Although it’s bottled in California, I was impressed to find out that the founders traveled to France and Spain to meet with the wine producers who were using organically certified grapes, no additives and were vegan friendly.

Avaline was created to make organic, delicious wine more accessible and transparent to consumers. Bonus is it tastes good and the price point is very reasonable. None of their still wines contain sugar, plus they list all the *ingredients. I’ll be purchasing more. It might even become my go-to while here. At present, their wine is not available in Canada.

Fun Fact: the brand is owned by actress and author Cameron Diaz, and entrepreneur, Katherine Power when they discovered they had something in common – a love of good wine. At the same time, they also learned they had a common frustration – the lack of transparency on wine labels. Forbes article below:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizthach/2023/03/28/how-avaline-wine-co-founders-cameron-diaz-and-katherine-power-achieved-20-million-in-sales-with-ingredient-transparency/

*Avaline Ingredients: https://drinkavaline.com/pages/ingredients

Canadian award-winning winery:

https://www.summerhill.bc.ca/us/

Aren’t you curious to know what’s in your wine?

design

INDUSTRY Design

Amongst the cluster of antique shops and galleries located in the Sunny Dunes neighborhood of Palm Springs, there is a vintage finds and modern design store you won’t want to miss.

When you step inside industry, this unique home design store might make you feel like your home is missing a certain je ne sais quoi. Perhaps you’re missing a tree? The almost one-year-old store is basically a curated mix of mid-century, vintage, and modern pieces that owners Arel & Eric have picked up from their various worldwide travels. Let the recent pics I took speak for themselves.

Helps to have a good eye and a knack for quality! It’s almost like walking into a museum.

Even the candles and coffee table books are a cut above. Walking through there I wished I had more coffee tables.

Pics : d. king

508 Industrial Place East, Palm Springs, CA.

Website: https://industryps.com/

inspiration

Monday Mood – December 1st

It’s always nice when we start a new month on a Monday.

It’s the rare alignment of beginnings: a new week, a new month, and the final chapter of the year. Add to that the extra bonus (for those shoppers who didn’t get enough of Black Friday sales) it’s cyber Monday!

The calendar feels like a doorway, swinging open to both endings and beginnings at once. Each tick of the clock whispers: this is the start of the finish, the prologue to the finale.

And yet, there’s joy in it – the sparkle of holiday lights, the hum of anticipation, the quiet thrill of knowing that 2025 is winding down, making space for something new. Something fresh.

It’s not just Monday, not just December, but the beginning of the end, and the end of the beginning.

A time for reflection, renewal, and readiness to embrace it all.

I’m ready. How about you?