This past weekend, I attended the kick off of Palm Springs Modernism Week.  It was the perfect event for me.  I love mid-century modern architecture and style and I love the indoor-outdoor relaxed living of the 1960s Palm Springs cocktail aesthetic.  I love clothing styles that take cues from that time period yet are completely current.
Although the weather started out with rain, it cleared up to be a beautiful weekend.  I was happy to visit my favorite café in Palm Springs: Koffi Coffee.  Fully armed with a honey-vanilla latte, I …

Honestly, my bicycle is such a flirt! Whenever I ride around town on my bike, I always receive kind compliments about her. She’s a looker, that’s for certain. Since it would be a shame to deprive the rest of the world of her presence, I’ve been riding about town, as the weather allows.
Last weekend I rode my bike to the farmers’ market – called the Mercato – in Little Italy close to downtown San Diego. The day was gorgeous which made for a perfect day to …

One of the benefits of being a grown-up at Christmas is the opportunity to start your own traditions. This year on Christmas eve, I knew I wanted to take some time from the running and wrapping and do something to celebrate the holiday and relax. I was looking for something that had the feeling of the past, but was also current and exciting.
The US Grant in downtown San Diego has been hip since 1910. While the lobby wears the proper uniform of dark wood paneling and crystal chandeliers, the …

Recent adventures reunited me with one of my loves: train cases. I adore these tiny trunks. I love that when packing, universally one reserves the best of the best and the most essential of essentials for one’s train case. That is just how it is. I won’t belabor the realities of air travel today and how the inconveniences and limitations have negatively impacted the use of train cases. We all know that air travel is one of the top 10 most demeaning experiences a person …

On a whim, I stopped in Progress Boutique in South Park, San Diego. To be honest, I was on my way to Velo Cult to pick up my new Linus Bike, which had been outfitted with a snazzy front rack. I saw a sidewalk sign for Progress and was intrigued.
Located in what looks like a refurbished warehouse now divided into multiple retail spaces, Progress is a great find! This boutique carries home goods, children’s toys, decorative pieces, select furniture, accessories, and delightful treasures. The space contains …

Of late, I’ve been very tempted to paint my ceiling.  I’ve targeted the ceiling in my hallway and have visions of an orange, plum, or a pink ceiling.  Most rooms in my home have colored walls and white ceilings.  I’d like to do something more surprising in the hall.  I’ve seen this technique used successfully in other places.  But I wonder if I can successfully execute something on my own, scaled down to the size of my house (tiny!).
I like the use of a colored ceiling in the restaurant Celedon …

I have been busy lately; the kind of busy that makes me blind to the simple beauty and everyday treasures around me.   That kind of busy is really a mixture of overbooked + stressed + too many tasks (OSTMT).  I intensely dislike how OSTMT makes me feel frenetic – I am putting out lots of energy but it is going to waste.  I realized that I had slipped into a place of looking out and forward and being blind to what is here and now.  I was missing out on …

Stationery is a guilty pleasure for me. I love stationery and don’t really need a particular reason to buy it. I love the tactile designs of letterpress in particular. And, spending time in a stationery store is something I love. I realize it is old fashioned in a way that is neither hip nor edgy. But I believe it is cool and modern; terribly so in fact.
I recently had an opportunity to take a peek inside India Ink stationery in Hillcrest, San Diego. Relocated from its previous location on India …

I love getting design inspiration, especially when that inspiration shows up in small ways or unexpected places. Lovely. I always carry my camera with me because I just don’t know when I may find something fabulous. Sometimes a piece from fashion will inspire me to do something with interior design or vice versa. I suppose that is the curse of having an open mind; the world is full of possibilities.
                                 It was the face of a watch and a spot varnished brochure that inspired me to stencil a wall in …

Life as a style hunter isn’t easy. Honestly. The job never ends. One must be constantly on the look-out for opportunity, always poised to strike. And a style hunter may face insults, such as, “Why are you shopping all of the time?” Excuse you. This is my craft. 
But this hard work, these challenges do pay off. Today, style struck at the Thread Show in the form of Peasants & Travelers bags. These hip and functional bags bring together classic styling with modern and unexpected materials. I adore the use of cork …