bathtub idea #1: champagne

I live in San Francisco.  Which means I don't live in a giant house with a giant yard.  I live in an apartment.  If you live in New York, you can probably relate.  I love entertaining, and with a small apartment, you want to make use of all your space.

Our bathroom situation is typical of old SF buildings.  The bathtub is in one room, the toilet is down the hall in another room (brilliant!).  Our bathroom with the bathtub is actually quite large for SF standards.  I decided to get creative and figure out how to incorporate that space into our Christmas party.  What if I followed the speakeasy theme and put ice in the bathtub like they did in the 20's?  I decorated it with silver & gold and filled it with champagne.  I also added a gold sign that read "Bubbly Bar."

Voilá!  Boring empty bathroom turned into VIP Champagne Room!  

It was a hit.  People loved going in there for more champagne.  It was separate from the bar, so it kept people moving around and interacting.  I asked people to bring champagne to fill it up, so we had an assortment, and 50 empty bottles at the end of the night!

This would also be adorable for a NYE party.

macaron

My husband prefers macaroons, I prefer macarons.  Confused?  Read below and learn the difference.  Which one do you like?

 

Although macarons are French, they were actually created in Italy by the chef of Catherine de Medicis in 1533 at her wedding to the future king of France.  Macarons were different back then......more simple.  In the early 1900's, the grandson of Louis Ernest Laduree turned them into 2 level creation filled with chocolate panache to hold them together.  Today macarons are so popular they are even served at McDonalds in France.

Photo below of me in Paris in 2012 enjoying my favorite flavor, pistachio.

my yellow dress

Still on the topic of the wine country wedding last weekend..........everyone loved my yellow dress.  I'll fill you in on my little secret.......it was rented!  I love Rent the Runway for events.  Otherwise, you buy an expensive dress, wear it once, and then it takes up space in your already stuffed closet.

I also found the dress with the help of a few dear friends.  Thanks to Terra for telling me about Rent the Runway.  Thanks to Courtney for finding this gorgeous dress!  Courtney wore it to my wedding, and looked adorable.  She was gracious enough to let me copy her.

The dress is by Monique Lhuillier.  Since the dress has a more sweet, old-fashioned shape, I paired it with huge funky bright green earrings to give a more modern feel.  I wore my hair up to show off the earrings, and added gold heels and a gold bag.  No necklace as the bright yellow color & huge earrings were already enough.

The dress was delightful , and I am thankful for good friends who led me to it!

weird architecture

I like weird art.  I also like weird architecture.  Look at the creativity below.  No cookie cutter here!  Which are you drawn to?

 

  1.  Vienna Museum of Modern Art (MUMOK):  officially on the list of the strangest buildings in the world due to the 'House Attack' by famous Austrian sculptor Erin Wurm.  

  2. Dancing House of Ginger & Fred is the nickname given to the Nationale-Nederlanden building in Prague.  It was designed by Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunić in cooperation with renowned Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry.

  3. Casa de America:  This would technically qualify as a sculpture, but I couldn't resist the whimsical work of Madrid based artist Alicia-Martín.  5,000 books spill out like a waterfall of this traditional building in Madrid.  I love books, and I love the contrast.

  4. Montaña Mágica Lodge: a unique rainforest hotel in Chile hidden deep in a nature reserve shaped like a volcano.  Accessible only by the swinging rope bridge.

  5. Treehotel:  Located 60 kilometers south of the Arctic circle in Sweden, this stunning hide out, designed by Tham & Videgard architects, is made of light weight aluminum which is hung around the base of a single tree.

  6. Heydar Aliyev Center:  If you are familiar with architect Zaha Hadid, you will know right away that the graceful curves of this dazzling building in Azerbaijan are hers.  This structure will host the former soviet nation's cultural programs and looks like glossy white ribbons.

my comfiest shoes: allbirds

Here is a photo of me walking around town in my new comfy shoes.

Made of merino wool, these minimalist tennis shoes are soft & cozy like socks, breathable, & machine washable.  No socks needed.

This SF based startup is funded by the group behind Warby Parker, so you will see some similarities.  The packaging is environmentally friendly, the company donates all returned shoes to those in need, and offers a generous return policy.

These shoes received compliments the first day I wore them.  One friend commented these are exactly what she needs to walk to her Facebook shuttle for work.  

Will the sneaker market be disrupted by Allbirds?  So far, I am a fan!

lob hair: still in style in 2016

Yes, it started in 2013, but the lob hairstyle (long bob) is still in style.  Long enough to make a ponytail, short enough to wear down.  It looks best with messy waves created with a curling iron.

That photo on top is me!  So exciting to be featured on Ramirez Tran.  They did a great job with the cut & color.  More lob inspiration for you below.