This had to be one of the more pleasurable road trips I can remember ever having taken from Palm Springs to Vancouver.
Normally once the decision is made to drive back, we’re anxious to get going and get home as quickly as possible. Even though you can make the trip in two days we never have. The norm is a three night hotel stay. But this time we took a few extra days to take it easy (vacation from vacation?) and explore uncharted territory (read wineries & hotels).
The Dancing Fox in LodiDelicato Winery in Lodi with Cher & Jack. He didn’t like the wine. And here we look like lumberjacks.
After the first night in Fresno we drove to the cute little town of Lodi for wine tasting and lunch with friends who were also making the trek back to Vancouver in their own truck with their own dog. We stayed close and on their excellent recommendation we stayed at the Gaia Hotel & Spa just outside Redding Ca. by the Sacramento River. It was very relaxing with great service, a good restaurant and waterfalls.
The next day we went to the picture perfect artistic little city of Ashland, Oregon for lunch.
Lunch at Louie’s sitting outside by the Ashland Creek.
After spending the evening at a hotel in Salem, Oregon we decided to part ways with our friends because we wanted to check out a rescue dog in the area – a 7 yr. old female sheltie. Though we never ended up meeting the dog as the lady who had her decided to keep her. I thought it would be a nice idea to get a female to mix with the males but since it never happened – maybe it’s better for both parties. In the end I only want what’s best for the dog.
So we ended up having lunch at the Willamette Valley Vineyard instead which was amazing. Our charming server Robert looked after us very well.
Willamette Valley on an overcast dayI had a few good flights to make the road trip easier (happier?)
Lastly, when we were only a few hours away from our destination we decided to spend two nights in a downtown hotel in Seattle and visit with old friends who used to live next door to us in Toronto. There we used to have dinner parties, always kept in touch and luckily they moved closer to us, to Seattle, Wa. Yay! We have stayed in a guest bedroom before but they have two cats and we have two dogs.
With Miranda who cooked us a delicious dinner while her husband Dave went to get a 2003 Tuscan red from his wine cellarKing Arthur or Merlyn (I can never tell which is which)
They love their hotel sleepsWhy even bother making the bed??
You know the road trip back will ultimately lead you home, but you never know where the road in between will take you. Writer Henry Miller once said “one’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
Somewhere under the Rainbow, way below…there are cows.
And it’s always an adventure to see new things as well as check in with old friends and find out that everything and nothing has changed since you last saw them.
Le Panier at Pike Place Market is a must for pastries, or bread, or sandwiches, or…pretty much anything
accessorize, accessorize….so why not an accessory for an accessory?
But to me Spring Break means a good excuse to let loose with the wardrobe. Exchange bulkiness for something reflecting the warmer (hopefully) temperature. More color and lightness. Accessories are playful and important. Speaking of, there’s no accessory more versatile than a lightweight scarf. Especially one that is sustainable, versatile and lightweight.
This is a first of a series on sustainable fashion beginning with:
The Symbology Scarf received in my Rachel Zoe Spring Box of Style is both pretty and purposeful. This exclusive collaboration is also feel-good Fair Trade Fashion.
The bright, screen-printed iteration of sustainable fashion label Symbology is so much more than a pretty add-on. Boasting a chic peacock-feather print and a gold-berry colorway that pays homage to Indian bridal saris, the creation of this warm-weather staple also empowered women artisans from start to finish.
Founder Marissa Heyl was inspired to start Symbology while on a research trip to India to assess how fair trade empowers craftswomen. She met artisans in remote villages and sprawling slums. She was inspired by their resilience and incredible talent in a myriad of art forms. Watching Gita, a young mother of three, block-print a beautiful tablecloth, Marissa envisioned it as a dress. It was her aha moment—combining her lifelong passion for fashion design with women’s rights.
Indian Inspiration
The Zoe Report x Symbology scarf was handcrafted by ten women in the desert region of the Indian Village of Sanganer, where bright sun and dry heat create the ideal conditions for printing. In this region virtually all printing is ordinarily done by men but these women were trained specifically to create this scarf for those who ordered the Spring 2017 box of style. The peacock feather design symbolizes integrity and beauty, while the deep berry and gold hues emulate Indian bridal saris.
Armed with their new skill set, these women have far greater access to design opportunities and sustained income in the future. Which makes me feel even better wearing it. Thank you!
It’s a feast for the eyes…maybe more so than the palate. Not something to be wolfed down. But she’s a pretty good looking egg when she gets properly plated.
Free-range eggs on an Isabelle Poupinel plate at the Hotel Thoumieux. Credit: Alban Couturier
Sometimes a so-so dish can get an upgrade by an artful placement on a pretty plate. You get to first admire what you are about to digest and by doing so and taking a bit more time, everything seemingly tastes better too. At least in my opinion. If you don’t believe me check this out:
The Chef & The Potter
At his eponymous restaurant inside Hotel Thoumieux near the Eiffel Tower, chef Sylvestre Wahid has earned two Michelin stars for his artful food — served on equally imaginative dishes. “The plate is like a canvas on which the dish and its colors are realized,” he says. The 300 handmade pieces in his collection were designed in collaboration with French potter Isabelle Poupinel. “I love the handcrafted aspect of her creations; the dimensions, the natural, mineral aspects to them,” Wahid says. “This parallelism between the content and the containers is really an interesting way to create harmony.” Poupinel, who has created ceramics by hand, on a wheel, for nine years, agrees — but claims that collaborating with chefs isn’t always so easy. “At first, he wanted the raw plates without enamel. I said, ‘no way!’ With sauce, or whatever, they’d get ruined. Sometimes, you have to control what chefs want in order to protect the work. They can be crazy!” she says with a laugh.
O’Keeffe in a 1929 gelatin silver print by her husband. Credit ALFRED STIEGLITZ; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Alfred Stieglitz Collection
You’ve got to admire how O’Keeffe was the master of her own public persona at a time when there was no social media. She told photographers how to “shoot her”, not the other way around.
A refreshing new exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum (on until July 23, 2017) for the first time combines O’Keeffe’s art and her wardrobe with photographic portraits. “Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern”
The painter of simplified images of enlarged flowers, Lake George tree trunks and New Mexico’s terra-cotta hills applied her meticulous sense of austerity and detail to every garment she owned. Some she designed and sewed herself, others she had custom made, and still others she bought off the rack or in antique shops (Japanese kimonos, for example).
O’Keeffe’s self-created image shaped her work’s accessibility, while at the same time shielding her privacy. This unity is revealed in the links drawn among some 50 works of art and 50 garments or ensembles, accessories included, and nearly 100 photographs of the artist taken by 23 photographers, from Ansel Adams and Cecil Beaton to Andy Warhol and Bruce Weber.
The greatest number of these images were taken by O’Keeffe’s husband, the eminent photographer and gallerist Alfred Stieglitz, often considered her domineering mentor, whom she met in 1916, began living with in 1918 and married in 1924.
For years, O’Keeffe limited her wardrobe to mainly black and/or white, until the Southwest loosened her color sense a bit and also introduced her to denim and jeans. She favored an androgynous look, frequenting the same New York men’s tailor — Knize — (as did Marlene Dietrich), liked Ferragamo flats and wore little jewelry. A rare favorite, visible in many photographs, was a brass brooch made for her by Alexander Calder. It represents her initials, OK, with ancient rock-painting complexity, and she wore it vertically to make it more abstract. In later years, she had it copied in silver, because she thought brass didn’t look good with her white hair.
I don’t know any better way to practice my French other than taking little tips from My Little Paris, a crazy fun blog and way more French than mine will ever be. It brings a smile to mon visage every time they post. And girls; OUI just want to have fun.Oops; better brush up on my waist, I’m behind (or above depending how you look at it) a few inches.
Beauty with a Purpose – from Cult Favorite Skincare Label Tatcha
It’s something that was sent to me in the new Box of Style – second go around for Spring. I don’t have to go out looking for new product, it now comes to me and keeps on getting better. I’m happy that it’s an exfoliant with a history and a missionto empower women, as well as make them look well, more polished shall we say?
What it is: a non-abrasive, water-activated enzyme exfoliant with rice bran and licorice, so even those with dry skin can use it. Which helps to encourage cell turnover, lighten the appearance of dark spots, prevent breakouts or clogged pores, and prepare the skin for any treatments to follow.
Founder Victoria Tsai’s Mission Statement
“When I thought of geisha, I had always pictured them with their iconic white makeup. When I met them in person, I realized that underneath that makeup is baby-soft, smooth, luminous skin. Caring for their skin is part of their artistry, passed down and honed through generations. Their rituals and ingredients are timeless and beautiful—they view skin as a brilliant organ, able to care for itself with a little bit of gentle cleansing and nourishment. I fell in love with this approach and wanted to pay homage in creating Tatcha.”
Western Vs. Eastern
“Western skincare is a lot like Western medicine, using drugs to treat an issue after the fact. Eastern skincare is like Eastern medicine, focused on prevention and keeping the body in balance to avoid disease before it starts. Classical Japanese beauty rituals were born from the geisha’s rituals, which are natural, elegant and spare. Even with elaborate performance makeup, her ritual is no more than four steps: melt away her makeup, polish, plump and nourish skin. The ingredients follow the same philosophy, with streamlined formulas of active ingredients, minimally manipulated to their most efficacious form. Whether it’s oil from a camellia flower, steamed wild rose or brewed green tea, each ingredient serves a purpose.”
Why Choose Tatcha
“We develop every formula and our key active ingredients from scratch in-house with some of the most famous skincare scientists in the world, like a couture dress. The ingredients are pure and clean because of our classical Japanese heritage and because I was pregnant when we were beginning our R&D and needed a collection that is body-, animal- and earth-friendly. Finally, we believe that beauty begins in the heart and the mind. We have a 1:1 partnership with Room to Read: Every full-size skincare purchase funds a day of school for a girl in a developing country. Thanks to amazing clients and friends like Rachel Zoe, we have funded over 1 million days of school and counting.”
Have you tried it? What exfoliant are you using and/or recommend?
In my quest to bring more lightness to all areas in my life including my clothes, I came across this Italian resort wear collection at of all places, not Italy but at an outdoor market in Palm Springs. I fell in love with the timeless, low maintenance pieces worn with ease by renowned fashion designer Sabina Bach.
Sabina designs a comfortable, stylish and unrestricted collection, produced in Italy out of all natural fibers like the finest linen and silks.
The following is brought to you (via me) by My Little Paris, a website that I’ve lately become addicted to for fun French musings on life, cooking and je ne sais quoi else.
3,451 miles. That’s how far Apollonia Poilâne used to go to get her bread every week.
Okay—technically, it was FedEx delivering the loaf from the Poilâne bakery in Paris to Apollonia’s mailbox in the US. But still. The woman clearly takes her bread seriously. She had to: when her parents died in a helicopter crash just months before she left France for college, 18-year-old Apollonia spent four years running the entire bakery from—no kidding—her Harvard dorm room. The following recipe is not for bread (it’s impossible to recreate a Poilâne loaf at home, trust us). But it’s one of Apollonia’s personal favorites, and involves chocolate, crushed butter cookies, and salted butter. Kind of hard to complain.
(Tip: they’re best made with Poilâne’s punition biscuits (which you can order here), but any old butter cookie will do.)
minimalism. What is it you really need in life to feel comfortable?
I’ve come to appreciate that what you really need to enjoy a comfy home environment is something very simple. Other than a solid roof over your head it comes down to a few basics…a comfortable bed, hot running water and elements that work. You can fill up your living space with all the extras you like, but if you don’t have the necessary comforts (if you’re not camping in a tent, that is) you won’t feel protected and secure. After that you can add in life’s little luxuries…smart TV, laptop, blow dryer, throw pillows, designer bags, etc.
I know this because it has become my living situation in Palm Springs for the past three months. I’ve downgraded but am happier for it. And it’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders – only a small weight mind you. And a weight I put there myself. Because I wasn’t completely happy with staying in hotels (subject always to availability not to mention prices that go waaay up depending on what’s going on around town & on weekends) and renting places (which by the way have become harder and harder to find not to mention the astronomical damage deposit fee you must leave although if you don’t wreck the place you’ll get back). At first my husband and I ended up renting a townhouse with a lot more space but a lot less soul than what we now call part/time home.
view from the front at duskat sunrise
Last year when visiting Palm Springs and by an extremely pleasant turn of events (bumping into someone I know from Vancouver at a music venue who told me about this place) I discovered a small RV park very centrally located within a short walking distance to town center. With a clubhouse/pool/sauna/games room, etc. and a hiking mountain right behind the park and shops/restaurants closeby. Bonus: tons of hummingbirds. Out of curiosity I phoned to see if any spots were available for a short stay to camp in the Eurovan this time around (in between vacating the condo rental & hotel). They did not have anything available, however a park model RV came up for sale in a location I liked within the park so let’s just jump ahead here…I bought it. It’s super comfy, everything works and the dogs especially love it. You make the space your own. Each is different, some are very nice, others not. I found that people customize to their personal liking .
patio
My husband had to fly back to Vancouver for appointments. On a Westjet flight back to PS he sat next to an interesting woman with a female dog sitting on her lap. It was the woman’s first visit to Palm Springs staying at her cousin’s gorgeous condo. We ended up going for a dog walk and she came back to our pad. She loved it and said if another came up for sale she wanted to buy it as a more affordable and perfect alternative to renting or buying a condo. (Bonus: no property tax issues and withholding tax at time of sale.)
instead of a white picket fence, a white lattice fence.
Apparently nothing had come up for sale in a long time and the park is usually booked up a year in advance. But to her good luck karma, a couple only two spots away from us decided they wanted to sell their lovely upgraded park model and travel elsewhere for a change. All to say…we have a new neighbour! And Jack has a nice new little girlfriend. Funny how things work out.
The outer surroundings where we’re located are something else – anything but minimal to counterbalance the lack of….more space. The space is situated with a pleasant mountain view and privacy hedges (in between neighbours) and palm trees. It has all the comforts of home. I call it my pad-à-terre. I’ve found a very good nail place, hairdresser, tailor, dog groomer, fix-it phone guy, coffee shop and convenience store within short walking distance. You know, the other necessities of life!
outer surroundingsour daily River Walk – only a few short blocks away
The trailer itself is 350 sq. ft. of uncluttered liveable indoor space perfect for two (and a guest on occasion – there’s a pull-out sofabed) and another 400 sq. ft. of outdoor living space which is what I love the most. There are people who live here year round and others (travelers/snowbirds) who keep an RV here full time (because they like their assigned spot and want to secure the space) but only come a few months a year and the others rent space when available for days/weeks/months at a time. Park fees include garbage pick-up, electricity, cable, internet but not gas so we pay for propane. Otherwise, it is fully serviced.
another little outdoor lounge area
This one is going to be kept here year round, whether we come for one month or six. It’s pretty simple living at it’s best. I have a bike to get around and the river walk a few blocks away to run & walk the dogs. But I must say that if the weather wasn’t cooperative I’m not sure I could do this full-time. Let’s just say that sunshine is a requirement for happiness! All that Vitamin D is healthy for a person!
As it turns out I’ve discovered more about myself. I like the simplicity of living light and having less stuff. So maybe as the saying goes “less is more” hence the tiny houses movement right now. This is living large by comparison. Call it country chic, shabby chic or whatever…I find it to be an excellent alternative to buying an expensive condo in the sun. It’s hassle free and in the worst case scenario if something happens I can…walk away.
It’s a bonus when the dogs match the outdoor carpet
Or something like that
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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