ren's loves

These are photos from my travels in 2008. The colors were so vibrant!

Saint Petersburg, Helsinki and Suomenlinna…

These are some photos I took during the Spring of 2008, when I was living in Paris. There was one amazingly talented artist, Monsieur Qui, who papered almost every arrondissement. His pieces are the ones that are drawn paper appliques. The women drawing were beautiful.

But there were also quite a few other fun ones - mostly based on the placements things and the resulting context. Anyway, hope you enjoy them!

As I wrote earlier, I’ve been crazy busy with work and finally had some time to catch my breath today….which ultimately leads to my pinning and stumbling across the world wide web of fashion and swooning over divine finds.

One of my favorite haunts has some amazing pieces exclusive to their site….Net-a-porter.com

For example, look at this Donna Karen WOOL gown. So cool and yet, probably, so comfortable. I love it!

And check out this amazing Kelly Bergin number….there is so much to love….the neckline with the lace-up…the almost-neru collar…the all-the-way-to-the-sky slit up the leg. LOVE! 

And then on the opposite end of the spectrum is this little one from Lover…It’s so sweet, yet sexy. Just perfect for a stroll in Paris this Spring (don’t I wish)….

And then there’s Temperley London’s homage to Japan and the timeless kimono. Ultra-feminine, yet not over done. Sure it’s link with flowers, but there’s nothing frou-frou about it. Elegant, sophisticated and cosmopolitan - all in one. It also completely reminds me of one of my other loves - KiraKira Jewelry - which draws a lot of inspiration from Japan.

Lastly, as I was surfing along through another loved site - bluefly.com - I found a pair of Jimmy Choo heels I would think would be me, if I were a shoe. Tall, sexy, soft to the touch, with an edge. And out of most people’s leagues ;-) 

Anyway, these are just shoe perfection (for someone other than me, who can actually wear heels!)….it’s just wrong.

This has been a crazy busy week. It was social media week all over the world and DC was very much involved. Which is still kinda crazy to me.

Before I left for Europe I 2008, things were not social - online at least. But my have things changed. DC is a top tech city now and there are dozens of social media labs around town.

Anyway, it was a lot of fun but kinda crazy as it was a highly decentralized event. There were panels held all over the dc region which was actually great for people who didn’t necessarily want to travel downtown.

So, I went to some and juggled regular work too. Which is why it’s so nice to sit down now.

Weeks with conferences always interrupt regular life and work. Your clients don’t stop having needs just because you’re out getting your social on. And their deadlines don’t shift based on your altered schedule either.

As a result, it was a loooong week. But totally worth it.

Naturally, the moment I sit down to write this post, my little woke up from his nap. After just an hour. Boooo.

Oh, the other big thing from this week was my back check up. Apparently, my disk was not only herniated (which was not a surprise - my disks have been all jacked for years) but what was surprising was how bad it had gotten since my last MRI in October.

The week before my surgery one of my disks had ruptured and all the stuff inside had burst out, filled every space and was pressing against my nerves from every angle. Which is why I had been excruciating pain and had extensive nerve damage.

It sucks. But I’m glad to know what had happened. The surgeon had told my husband that it had been far worse than they expected, but that could mean anything - to me at least.

My leg is still numb and is weaker than its ever been. But I’m expected to recover and the nerve to grow back. Woo hoo!

I’m off now. It’s a gorgeous day and I need some vitamin d :)

Love love love

dailycandy:

The Concept: Vintage film noir with a rough-and-tumble edge. 

The Palette: Cream, black, wine, and metallics.

Standouts: Wispy frocks paired with leather motorcycle jackets; slinky dresses with dramatic bat wings; see-through blouses flecked with gold. A tulle-topped mermaid gown brought on applause.

(Photo: Larkin Clark / DailyCandy)

This months Travel & Leisure came today and it’s my favorite escape. For just a few bucks a year, I get to explore and escape to some of the most stunning and exotic locales. 

I get so inspired by the stories of living in villas and stolling through manicured gardens, that it’s all I can do to not jump on Kayak and book a flight somewhere. 

Life is more complicated now. 

I can’t just trade a couple emails and book a flight to Madrid to visit friends. No more splurging on first-class, just because. 

Those perks are now viewed in terms of school tuition and the cost of nannies.

I’ve always had a bit of a rolling-stone itch. Can’t stay still for too long. There’s so much to see and discover, let’s go!!

Now, my luxuries are sleeping in to 8 - 8:30, sneaking out for brunch with a friend and going to work!

So, when I get my issue of Travel & Leisure in the mail, it’s a brief escape to some place far-flung where my cell phone doesn’t work and I can’t check-in on FourSquare. I can see myself sitting under the bougainvillea sipping some vino, listening to breeze fluttering the leaves.

No car horns. No laundry. No buzzing phone.

Peace. Quiet. Serenity. (he he)

So, this month I “took a trip” via T+L to Marsala, a town in Sicily I haven’t been to. The group had rented a centuries old villa with a full staff. The photos of the gardens are sumptuous and the daily trips to the market sound exciting. Locals took to them as quickly the group took to Marsala.

I admired the intricate hand-painted tiles and was amused by the eccentric coral candelabras.

As a mommy who works full-time, this is my escape from the ordinary.

Read the article here.

I ordered these earrings from my friend Suzanne Somersall, who is one of the most talented jewelry designers out there. Her pieces are classic, timeless and wholly unique.

it took me a long time to figure out what piece to treat myself to - I truly felt like a kid in a candy shop. That is how I feel about jewelry. I can tell you when and where I got every piece. 

Each piece has it’s own story - a time and place unique to it. 

When traveling, jewelry is my favorite souvenir. It’s something I can wear and keep the memory of that moment with me. A pair of earrings, a ring, a necklace - they all capture a part of my life in a way that nothing else can.

Jewelry is how I curate my life and articulate myself.

And these earrings connect where I am physically, financially, and emotionally. Plus, a friend made them. That is simply impossible to top.

Thank you, Suz. 

The fact you made them makes them all the more precious to me.

KiraKiraJewelry.com