Weekend Inspiration - Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine
I recently saw Blue Jasmine. Cate Blanchett is so outstanding, you forget the plot holes in the movie.I haven't seen all the other Best Actress nominees' performances yet but if Cate wins the Oscar I wouldn't be surprised.The wardrobe was amazing as well. I read that the costume designer, Suzy Benzinger, had a budget of only $35,000. Most of the clothes were borrowed and every time Cate dropped the Birkin (which belonged to Benzinger and cost more than the entire budget) on the ground, people on set gasped.Beautiful Chanel jacket. Poor Jasmine. She was bananas.
Photo: Collider.com
How stunning is this red Carolina Herrera dress? Love, love, love, it!
Photo: indiewire.com
Stylish simplicity in a linen dress by Façonnable.
Photo: NY Daily News
I have a completely different build from Ms. Blanchett. I'm not sure how any of these clothes would look on my short self, but I can dream about the accessories.
Buon weekend!
Weekend Inspiration - A Tuscan Fireplace
We were very lucky in Rome this week. No Polar Vortex. That said, it's freezing in the morning.When I saw the picture below I sighed. Loudly. I'm pretty sure this fireplace is bigger than my apartment.The fireplace is original to the home. How gorgeous are these floors?
Photo: elledecor.com
I hope it warms up soon. Buon weekend!
My Word For 2014 - Crescere
Happy New Year!Last year my word was, "si."I took some risks (professionally and personally). I learned a lot and I'd like to keep this momentum going. The Italian word for "to grow" is perfect.Other words I considered:Chevron - I don't care what anyone says. This print is a classic and will never be out of style.
Idris Elba - Okay, that's two words.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLFwuCs8IwY&w=420&h=315] Jon Hamm - Two more words. The interview starts at 3:41[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOP9OMmAiRU&w=560&h=315] Do you have a word for 2014?
Merry Christmas - Buon Natale!
It's not easy to be thousands of miles away from my family on this day. While we did celebrate Thanksgiving, it's not a Caribbean holiday or tradition. Christmas on the other hand, is celebrated big time on the islands and my parents brought their traditions with them to America.It wasn't really about the presents. However, I did flip out the year when one of my gifts was an Easy Bake Oven from "Santa" ( those cakes were gross but my family pretended to like them). It was the decorating, the food, the music, and having our entertaining extended family over that made Christmas so fun and memorable.Every year we went to midnight service. Every year after church we would plead with our parents to start the tradition of opening one gift before bed. Every year they said, "no." They were very consistent.I won't be in the Caribbean today saying, "compliments of the season" but I will be there in spirit. Here are few of my favorite Christmas songs.As a kid I watched this special on CBS every Christmas. One of the best Christmas (and jazz) albums ever.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4qe7oLlizs&w=420&h=315] It wasn't Christmas in our home until my dad busted out his Nat King Cole album.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRfLl5OEDy8&w=420&h=315] Love this rendition of Mariah's song, with the Roots and jimmy Kimmel. The kids are too cute![youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWEfszb9h8Q&w=560&h=315] Does anyone else remember the group The Waitresses? This came out in 1981.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARq6uYSsUq0&w=420&h=315] Kirland and Baryhnikov, another yearly staple back in the day, on PBS. So weird that he's better known now for being the uptight Russian dude Carrie dated during the last season of SATC.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6NCE9GlU7s&w=420&h=315] A Motown classic from my first crush.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCEZEOYdfwo&w=420&h=315] Donny Hathaway. That voice. He died way too soon.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkqjjYP53vQ&w=560&h=315] This falls under melancholy Christmas songs. Perhaps I shouldn't have listened to it this year.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g4lY8Y3eoo&w=420&h=315]
Weekend Inspiration - Lights - Via del Corso - Rome
How is it possible that Christmas is only five days away.Buon weekend!
Life In Rome - Gordon Parks Exhibition
Last week a fantastic Gordon Park's exhibit opened in Rome. Titled, Una Storia Americana (an American History), this is one of the largest retrospectives of his work.Gordon Parks was a true renaissance man. He was a self-taught photographer, musician, writer, film director, and poet.Parks was also quite popular with the ladies. When he was sixty he met a young aspiring writer named Candace Bushell, who had recently moved to New York City. She moved in. She was eighteen.He became the first African-American to direct a major Hollywood movie and was the first African-American photographer hired by LIFE and VOGUE magazines. His range of subjects, along his talent, made Parks one of the most important American photographers of the 20th century. Many of his images are iconic and will be for years.
"Ornament, ornament, ornament!"
My sister, Daniella, is ten years younger than me and six years younger than our brother, Gerry. We were old enough to remember the day our parents walked into the house with a new baby. She had a fine pair of lungs.Later that night, my ten year-old self was annoyed. Sure Daniella was an adorable baby and everything but hello, I had school in the morning. I couldn't sleep with all that noise. I may have said something to my mom who gave me the classic Caribbean mother "you better stop with your nonsense" face. I stopped.I was in high school when Daniella started kindergarten. Laning Avenue Elementary School had a Santa's Workshop where kids could buy Christmas gifts for their family and friends.Gerry and I would take our gifts from under the tree, unwrap them and say loudly, "ornament, ornament, ornament!" as every year from kindergarten to fifth grade that is what Daniella gave us. My parents still have those ornaments.I think it started with Gerry, who said, "oh look, it's another ornament. Ornament, ornament, ornament!" I have no idea why we found this hysterically funny.Years later during the first Christmas day we spent with my future sister-in-law and brother-in-law, I busted out with the ornament thing (it really was an ornament) and my siblings and I lost it. My in-laws to be glanced at each other, "what's wrong with these folks?"I don't have room in my apartment for even a Charlie Brown tree, but I could buy an ornament or two.Here are a few that caught my eye:Reindeer! Love the scarves. Very snazzy.
A classic bullicante glass ball ornament from Tiffany & Co for those with more champagne tastes.
I don't like mice at all but how charming are these ballerinas at Dédé Maison, one of my favorite stores in Rome.
DéDé Maison: Photos by me
Great matte finish on this silver ornament.
Here are more mice with exceptional artistic abilities.
Stylish Simplicity - Ziti Rigati Con Pomodori/Ziti Rigati With Tomatoes
This Thanksgiving I went to Sicily. It was my first trip to the main island and I stayed at the incredible Monaci delle Terre Nere.On my last day, I had this for lunch.
When you have a dish with so few ingredients, they better be of the freshest and highest quality ingredients. There are no sauces or foam to mask bad food.While this dish was simple, the flavors were not. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and the tomatoes had that killer combo of acidity and sweetness that you cannot find in out of season tomatoes at a mega supermarket.We eat with our eyes as well. I really appreciated the presentation. It's Stylish Simplicity.
Stylish Simplicity - Williams Sonoma - Rustic Italian Platter
The holiday season is upon us. Lights have just started to go up in my neighborhood and I saw a few festive window displays this morning on Via Condotti and Via Babuino.I haven't seen any panettone movie commercials. Several friends have assured me they are coming. Excellent.One of my goals for 2014 is to entertain more. Yes, I know it's a little early to think about these things. I can't help it.My apartment is small but I had a friend, Susan, in New York City who lived in a studio that was smaller than my place and yet she had dinner parties, Oscar parties, cocktail parties, let me introduce you to my new spinning teacher parties, etc.Her space had a different layout. However, I can still be inspired by many of her fantastic ideas.My mom, like Susan, has a great selection of serving trays and platters. Some she received as wedding gifts fifty years ago.I actually enjoyed setting the dining room table when my parents had dinner parties. My mom was occupied with cooking, my dad was the bartender, and us kids were "in charge" of the table.Okay, so my mom really had the last word about what was going on the table. When I was old enough, it was my job to iron the tablecloth and the napkins. While I STRONGLY dislike ironing my sheets (it takes forever), this party prep was fine with me.The last time I was in St. Martin, one of my friends (and former boss) was on the island and stopped by for a visit. I looked through my parents' collection to find the right tray for aperitivi and thought about all the fun holiday dinners and parties. I also realized that I need to step up my platter game.This one is gorgeous. It's from Williams-Sonoma and made in Umbria.This shade of blue is one of my favorites.
This platter is stylish simplicity.
Three Thanksgiving Floral Arrangement Ideas From Martha Stewart
I cannot believe Thanksgiving is next week! Where has this year gone?I am loving the autumn color explosion at the flower stands in my neighborhood. I want to incorporate some of those colors into interesting Thanksgiving floral arrangements.I thought, "What Would Martha Do?"Lo and behold I found the ones below on her website.Fantastic!What a creative way to use vegetables, flowers, and herbs. While this arrangement is perfect for Thanksgiving, it would also work all fall and winter. You could swap in whatever is in season.
This arrangement has less of a bounty from the earth vibe and is a little more dramatic and modern. I wouldn't put it on my dining table (it would block guests' faces) but instead on the bookcase in my foyer.
Great colors in this rustic arrangement. So warm and inviting.
I knew Martha wouldn't let me down. To see other beautiful arrangements from Ms. Stewart, click HERE.
Weekend Inspiration - J.K. Place Hotel - Rome
This week, LONNY wrote about the new J.K. Place Hotel. Believe the hype. It's gorgeous.Months ago, one of my vendors told me I had to see the chartreuse DEDAR fabric architect/interior designer Michele Bonan used in the cafe. I finally had a chance to see it when my friend Erica and I went to meet a colleague of hers and his wife who were staying at the hotel.I told Erica we must add J.K. to our list. We are very hard on places when it comes to cocktails. It's not enough to have an excellent bartender, the décor must be on point.Erica's colleague showed us their room. I almost cried when I saw the bathroom. This one is a little larger. Look at that shower. The floors. The marble. Sigh.
Bonan is one of my favorite designers and what he did with the space is stunning. The building used to be the architecture school for La Sapienza (the largest university in Rome).
Inspired by Tom Ford's film, A SINGLE MAN, the atmosphere is what folks back in the States call "grown and sexy."It's a very unique space in Rome and I think the bar/lobby will appeal to people who are, well, grown and sexy. I don't see Flip-Flop Girls™ hanging out here. Grazie dio!I could spend hours in the library.
For more pictures of J.K. Place Roma, you can click on their gallery HERE.Photos: J.K. Place Roma
Guest Blogging at Browsing Italy about Salina, Sicily
The lovely Diana asked me if I could write about my trip to the island of Salina for her "Show and Tell" series on her blog Browsing Italy.My post is HERE.
I had a great time in Salina. The minute the ferry pulled into Salina's port, I forgot about the long journey to get there. It's a beautiful island.Thanks, Diana!
Stylish Simplicity - Peperoncini (Tiny Peppers)
My friend Taiye finally had a break during her international book tour and was making lunch at her place. I wanted to pick up some flowers.I went to my flower stand in Campo dei Fiori but none of the flowers I had in mind were in season.Instead, I decided to go with some peperoncini.
So simple, including the presentation.I love the burst of color they bring to a room on a cold fall day. I plan to pick up some red ones later in the week.If you haven't read Taiye's critically acclaimed book, Ghana Must Go (La Bellezza Delle Cose Fragili in Italian), get thee to a bookstore or online. It's fantastic.
Castello Di Fumone - Design Inspiration, An Imprisoned Pope, and Drowned Non Virgins.
Over the summer my friend Annie invited me to spend the weekend at her in-laws. They live in Fiuggi. It's only an hour south of Rome but at least a good ten degrees cooler.I happened to visit during Fiuggi's sagra. It was outstanding. When a large group of people started to do the Electric Slide, I fell out. Seriously. Here I was in a small hill town in the middle of Italy (I saw only one other black person there) and folks were doing this:[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w2Anvecs6s&w=560&h=315] Another highlight of my weekend was our trip to Castello di Fumone, (aka Castello di Longhi). The tour (in Italian) was very interesting.The castle was built sometime between 244 - 455. The name means "Big Smoke." The area was very strategic given its high elevation. Large smoke signals were released to warn towns and cities as far away as Rome about invaders.In 1584 Pope Sixtus V asked the noble Longhi family to take over the upkeep of the castle. It had fallen on difficult times. They did and brought it back to life. Members of the family still live in the castle.Castello di Fumone has one of the largest roof gardens in Europe and the views are spectacular.There were many design elements for me to savor. Annie probably got sick of me not keeping up with the group because I was too busy taking photos.How gorgeous is this decorative wall painting? It represents the Longhi family's crest and colors. I could see a very cool wallpaper inspired by it.
You know one of the buyers at Restoration Hardware has a photo of this chair on an inspiration board.
Castello di Fumone was in the news after Pope Benedict abdicated his papacy. He was the first pope to do so in seven hundred years and only the second pope to abdicate.The first pope to resign was Pope Celestine V. He was captured and locked up in a tiny cell in the castle by his predecessor. He died ten months later at age eighty-six.Annie and I could barely fit into the cell. I pictured this old man sleeping on cold stone floors. I guess his fate was better than the man who was buried alive in the castle walls.Thanks to my excessive photo taking, I miss part of the tour in the archives room. It was for the best. Annie filled me in later.In the 1800s Marquise Emilia Caetani Longhi had seven daughters. She and her husband then had a son, Francesco. His sisters, worried that they would be cut out of their inheritance (everything would go to the male heir), slowly poisoned him to death. Nobody knew how he died until years later when one of the sisters confessed upon the death of her parents.It is said that the ghosts of Francesco and his grieving mother can be heard wailing throughout the castle.His body and some of his personal items are kept in a wooden cabinet.Warning: Photo of a mummified toddler below.This freaked me out.
Portrait of Marquise Emilia Caetani Longhi
I thought after hearing about poor Francesco, that would be it for gruesome stories and we could return to a discussion about all the incredible art.That was not the case. I noticed a well when we first walked into the castle. I asked Annie about it and she said all would be explained later.Apparently, back in the day brides had to see the Baron of the castle on their wedding night. If they were not virgins (how the Baron would know/find out this information, I have not a clue), they would be thrown down the well. WHAT IN THE WORLD?!
There is a lot of history (and shenanigans) inside the walls of this castle. Thanks, Annie for the organizing the trip!
Life In Rome - Interview And Photo Shoot with Gina Gomez
I do not like having my photo taken. Correction, I'm game when I'm in a group shot.It's not just because the camera adds ten to fifteen pounds. It's because I feel like a big dork standing there while the photographer snaps.Thanks to social media, I had to get over my discomfort. That said, I still get salty when unflattering photos are tagged on Facebook. What the what? Does the tagger need new glasses? Good friends don't let folks tag bad photos.Gina wanted to take a few head shots during our terrace photo shoot. I was sweaty and wiped out. So even though Gina is a talented photographer I thought, "no good can come of this."She convinced me to at least try a few. I did and this is what happened:
I did a brief interview with Gina and she has posted more photos from the shoot on her blog.To see more of Gina's gorgeous work, please visit her website here.
Life In Rome - An EUR Walk
Last Sunday, my friends Erica and Darius decided to take advantage of the great weather and organized a quick walk through EUR.I still have problems pronouncing the area's name correctly. The second time I visited Rome, a friend from L.A. was in town. She asked her lover (they met the year before) if he could show us around EUR.L.A. Friend: Marco, can you drive us to E.U.R.? (spelling it out in English)Marco: Dove? (Where?)LAF: E.U.R.Marco: Non capisco.LAF: Big buildings, Mussolini.Marco: Oh, AY-oor. Certo. That was a fun afternoon as my friend spoke no Italian and Marco spoke several languages but none of them were English. However, they spoke the universal language of love lust, so it was all good.On Sunday, I met up with the rest of the Twitter folks (aka Tweeps). One of Darius and Erica's friends was born in the area and still lives there. He knows the area well and it was fascinating to hear his point of view.If you have any interest in architecture or 20th century Roman history, EUR is definitely worth a visit. It's a very unique neighborhood.Here are a few snapshots from Sunday.
Photos From My Trastevere Terrace Project
My client travels frequently overseas for work but, like most of the native Romans I know, he enjoys hosting aperitivi and dinner parties when he's in town.He saw the work I did for another client and asked me to take a look at his terrace.We wanted to make the space flow better, redo the landscaping, and buy new furniture to add to some of the pieces he already owned.I think it's important for the outdoor areas and indoor areas to be cohesive. I kept my client's interior spaces in mind as I looked for furniture. My landscaper and I had a long conversation regarding which plants would work best for the terrace.I wrote about photographer Gina Gomez (aka Warm Pears) on my former blog three years ago. Earlier this year, we discussed collaborating on something.The terrace was that perfect something.Below are a few pictures from the shoot.
Resources:Furniture: UNOPIU'Lantern: FlamantCenterpiece: Bloemen Florist - Via Terenzio, 37 (zona Prati), Rome, +39 06 6892901
Weekend Inspiration - A West Village Townhouse
The much missed DOMINO magazine is back. This time it's a quarterly publication with a strong online and e-shopping presence.I'm very curious about this new version of the magazine. It's $12 in the USA. It is worth the price? I wonder how much a subscription to Italy costs.In the meantime, I will enjoy these photos.
I would love to have a kitchen that opens up to a yard.
For more on Ali Cayne's home and to check out DOMINO click HERE.Buon Weekend!
Weekend Inspiration - Architectural Digest Showcases A Castle In Umbria
I cannot wait to pick up a copy of the November issue of ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST (USA).One of the stand out articles is about the restoration of a castle in Umbria. The architect was Domenico Minchilli and the interiors were decorated by Martyn Lawrence Bullard. The two were brought together by the client, Evgeny Lebedev.I wrote about Domenico and the project we're working on in Tuscany HERE.Domenico showed me a few before pictures of the castle. As I looked at the photos I thought,"the word ruins doesn't convey what I'm seeing. Perhaps a pile of rocks would be a better description."I was floored by the transformation. It is truly inspiring.The November issue is on newsstands (Stateside) now.Buon weekend!
My Fall/Winter 2013 Wish List
I know there is a huge difference between want and need. Many times I catch myself making statements such as, "that skirt needs to be in my closet."Hello, no it doesn't. I would like it to be there. That is a want.I have written before about my lack of clothes for cold weather. Now that I no longer spend the majority of my working hours in my house writing scripts, I really need to step up my fall/winter wardrobe. I cannot meet with clients or vendors looking bananas.Thank god I live in a city that is not as casual as Los Angeles. If I wear a dress or a skirt to a meeting in Rome, nobody asks me why am I so dressed up. Sometimes, wait for it, I even wear thigh-high stockings!There are many things I would like to purchase this year but have narrowed down the list to five.Long leather gloves. I'm thinking black or chocolate brown. Why does Olivia Pope look so sad here?
Photo: ABC/Danny Feld
Ankle boots with heels that can handle cobblestone streets.
I have a pair of ankle boots with a narrow heel. They have been destroyed. RIP.
A LBD.
Love the cut of this dress from J. Crew.
A camel hair coat.
i do need a new winter cloth coat but I think I can get another season out of my current one. This will go in the want column. Max Mara's coats are classic.
Photo: People
Last but not least, I do need a short winter sports jacket. I look like the Michelin Tire Man in puffy jackets. I like the lines of this one.
What's on your list?