Photo by Rouxby Photography
To kick off the DINE & WINE playlist, Aretha sings it best: “I’m drinking again.”
This mix is smooth, a little sexy, and the perfect soundtrack to an evening soirée, dinner party, or late night cocktail. You can dress it up or dress it down, but I recommend at the very least dimming the lights.
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Vernazza, Cinque Terre
And not necessarily in that order.
When we started planning a 2-week trip to Italy almost a year ago, we had big ambitions. Lots of different destinations. We would have 2 full weeks to fill with wine, food, adventure, and friends.
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A lot of my freelance work to date has centered on writing and blogging, with interior design as a key subject. I've developed and refined my own point of view on interior design trends and sensibilities. But having an eye for the subject matter does not always translate to being able to actually do the job.
So, when my friend and coworker Allison reached out with the opportunity to redo her kitchen, I was very excited, but intimidated and humbled nonetheless.
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Today is my 1-year wedding anniversary, so I'm taking a moment to reflect on 1 year of marriage.
People say that marriage is work. I disagree.
Or at least I disagree with that word choice. I think that a marriage takes effort, but effort is different from work in my opinion. Mainly because the kind of effort a marriage takes is the fun kind and, simply put, doesn't feel like work at all.
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Photo by Jonathan Steinitz
Currently seeking sunshine and summertime.
I started the BEACH, PLEASE playlist while on vacation in Vieques, Puerto Rico to capture the feeling of beach-hopping. It’s electronic with a more laid-back vibe, perfect for a day party spent in the sun and/or the sand. What can I say? Island life inspired me.
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Photo by Tessa Neustadt for Blackband Design
This week, I published my first article on the modern interiors digital magazine MyDomaine. It was a super fun process to sit down with Blackband Design for a Q&A about a before-and-after home tour that transformed a beachside house adorned in dark wood paneling into a bright, breezy, coastal-chic space.
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Awhile back, probably a year ago at this point, someone asked me if we were going to have a photo booth at our wedding. My response was, “No, because life is a photo booth.” I said that because I couldn’t think of another way to express that I had a firm feeling that I wanted the photos from our wedding reception to capture real moments, actions, and emotions. I wanted to document that weekend in our lives as if it were one giant photo booth.
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My mom, circa 1967.
Music can set the mood, distract us, provide background noise, give us something to sing along to.
Lately, I’ve been finding myself needing to unwind on nights and weekends. Wine helps, but so does the right soundtrack. Something that’s a groovy mix of vintage and modern.
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Marc is the chef in our household. I love his cooking, and he loves to cook, so it all fits together perfectly. I’m not totally useless; I’m usually in charge of the music and the wine, and sometimes I get to be the taster.
It also helps to cook and eat at home when you are trying to be healthy (#2016resolutions).
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Last summer, when I decided I was going to embark on a new career journey, one of my goals was to build a life I wouldn’t need a vacation from.
Prior to that point, so much of how hard I was working seemed to build towards moments of freedom when I would take time off from work with Marc, friends, or family. I’d dream of getting away from it all, being able to truly separate and unwind.
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Photo by Jonathan Steinitz
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted on the blog. I'll write more about that in the near future, but in the meantime, I couldn’t resist a quick holiday check-in.
December is such a fun time of year because, for me, the entire month is building towards three big holidays: Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and my husband Marc’s birthday (which also happens to be New Year’s Eve). The first few weeks of the month are filled with decorating, gift shopping, and, of course, holiday parties. I love the thrill of searching for and finding the perfect gift almost as much as I love planning a great party, so you can imagine that the month puts me in a good mood.
In related news, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas music season!
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About a month ago, I started writing a post about how I could not believe it was already fall. I felt like I blinked and it was already the end of September.
I brainstormed all the things I was inspired to do as the seasons changed... how I was switching from iced coffee to hot coffee, and perhaps more importantly, from white wine to red wine. I dreamt up styling artistic photos of the cozy-looking faux fur throw on my bed and posting some progress shots of cleaning out my closet in preparation for cooler weather. Maybe I'd post a roundup of my favorite men's trends for fall, or of the TV show premieres I was most excited to watch - mostly under the Shonda Rhimes umbrella (#TGIT).
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Photo by Jonathan Steinitz
I had the pleasure of tagging along with my hubby to Italy last month (Rome and Venice), and it was by many counts a continuation of my infatuation with walking as a means of exploring European cities.
Walking around Rome and Venice was an empowering experience because I was using maps and online research (thanks, iPhone!) to navigate a foreign city on my own while Marc was working. Quite honestly, part of the fun of wandering around those cities is getting lost. Suffice it to say I had a lot of fun :)
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I think I can officially call myself a freelancer.
A few weeks ago, someone addressed me as a designer for an event that I helped to plan. Later that week, a different person called me a freelancer when I took on my first interior decorating job. And still that same week, I accepted a different part-time position in digital media.
Four months after starting on a journey of career exploration, I was seeing momentum in new creative professional endeavors.
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Photo by Rouxby Photography
Today is my four-month anniversary. I can't believe how time has flown by.
One day I plan to post all about our wedding on the blog, but I'm not quite ready to do that.
I am, however, super excited to share my LOVE playlist on the SOUNDTRACK page.
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Every year, for the past six years, I've had a theme. It's what I do in lieu of a New Years resolution.
I started this tradition in 2010, my first theme being "Yes." Aside from a brief digression in 2011 when I decided to make my theme "Hot & Dangerous" (homage to a Ke$ha lyric that amused me at the time), I've enjoyed layering themes on each year to make myself a more dynamic and open person to be around, someone who sets and achieves bigger goals.
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My love of popsicles began at an early age.
I’m excited for Labor Day weekend for many reasons. To name a few…
1) I get to spend a long weekend with Marc
2) We are heading to a friend’s wedding on Sunday
3) Sunday is also my birthday, so we are celebrating with a Monday Funday brunch party at Humpitz Manor
In an attempt to extend summer vibes into September, I’m heading into the long weekend armed with a 90s pop playlist (on the SOUNDTRACK page) and some delicious poptails for Monday’s party.
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Photo by Jonathan Steinitz
Turns out it’s pretty easy to spend a day in London doing some of my favorite things: shopping, socializing, eating, and drinking.
Which got me thinking: if you’re going to drop some British pounds shopping, why not drop the other kind of pounds by walking a lot? (Sorry I’m not sorry for my cheesy puns.)
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This is a picture of my great uncle. I consider it visual proof that some of the coolest things today still come from the past.
I think this also applies to music. Sometimes, the best way to capture the right mood is to throw on some upbeat oldies.
And on that note, my OLD TIME ROCK N ROLL playlist is now up on the SOUNDTRACK page. It's some of my favorite early rock & roll music, mostly from the late 1950s and early 1960s.
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My cappuccino at Caffe Sant'Eustachio in Rome.
I’m not a coffee drinker. I’ve never liked the taste. And unlike the way I approached beer and wine in college, I never bothered to acquire a taste for coffee. Consequently, I’ve always sought rebellion in the form of tea. Badass, I know.
Until last week, when I started drinking coffee at age 31.
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