City Spotlight: Gordes

For the last few days, I have been in Gordes, France. We are staying a luxurious hotel called La Bastide de Gordes. This incredible town cut from the mountains overlooks the countryside of Provence and is just breathtaking. The city, built in the 12th century, makes me marvel at the lasting architecture and history of Europe! Here are a few pictures of us in the town and of our lovely hotel:

What an incredible place in Provence to visit! Back to the Tour...

Restaurant Review: Paris

After spending a week in Paris last summer, the hubby and I made sure to record some of our favorite restaurants from the week for future visits:

LUNCH~~~~~~~~~

Ian and I went to Notre Dame and then walked down the Ile St Louis and found this charming little Italian place called Sorza: 51 rue saint-louis-en-l’ile. It was a quick really yummy lunch if you’re wandering around that part of town and was about 40euros for the two of us. Can’t remember what Ian had but I ate an arugula salad and some risotto which were both awesome. Here’s some other great trip advisor reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187147-d1035629-Reviews-Sorza-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

DINNER~~~~~~~~

Bistrot de Paris

33 Rue de Lille, 75007 Paris, France

+33 1 42 61 16 83

Ian and I stayed a few blocks from this restaurant and it was recommended by our hotel. It is your quintessential French bistro but the food was better than many I have visited. I know we had a shrimp appetizer that was awesome!

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

5 Rue Montalembert, 75007 Paris, France

You may have heard of Joel Robuchon b/c he has at least one restaurant in Las Vegas. This was maybe our favorite meal just because it was so different. You sit at the counter around this open kitchen and are served tapas size portions of the most delicious food you’ve ever tasted. It is very $$$$ and also hard to get into. We stayed next door at HOTEL Montalembert and it took us several nights of going by to finally get a reservation (call and get one for either really early or really late in the evening). Totally worth it though!! Here’s the website http://www.joel-robuchon.net/

Sormani:

4 Rue Gén Lanrezac

75017 Paris, France

01 43 80 13 91

This is Lance’s favorite restaurant in Paris. It is somewhat of an institution and has the best Italian in the city. This was somewhat of a splurge for us price wise but we LOVED IT! It’s extremely formal with red velvet all over the restaurant and the royals/rich Parisians that dine there too. Walk to the Arch de Triomphe (right nearby) after dinner for an incredible nighttime photo! See here

Food just doesn't get much better than these establishments. Keep this list handy for your next trip to the City of Lights!! :) Au revoir for now...

Je Suis en Paris!

I am in Paris for the day for a few meetings before heading down to the South of France for my Hospitality program. Though I have a lot to take care of in our short time here and am sure jet lag will rear it's ugly head anytime soon, I am hoping for a delicious dinner and stroll around the city tonight.

Photos to come! Enjoy the weekend :)

Yummiest Fabrics

I found some more yummy fabrics. I have been keeping my eye out for some bright blue fabrics for the two armchairs that need recovering in our Living room. Here are some of my favorites from Quadrille:

I also love this fabric from Ralph Lauren:

I'm on the hunt for something fabulous....Have a great weekend!!

Lucite in the Living Room?

What do you think about a lucite coffee table in the Living Room? I have desperately wanted a covered bench or ottoman to serve as a centerpiece for our Living room:

But the other night, I began to worry about the functionality of it. It would be perfect for larger parties if while friends were mingling, they could casually perch on the ottoman, but it would not be ideal for serving on...

I've noticed that whenever we have friends over for entertaining or dinner, they all culminate in our kitchen, which in the midst of my dinner prep, is certainly the least glamourous part of our home. Since we now have a bar in our home study, I think our Living room and study would be the perfect place to "direct" guests. If that's the case then I will certainly need a sturdy table to serve off of.

Here are some lovely lucite photos I have been browsing through. I love how clean it looks. Enjoy!

Right for the Riviera Part Deux

So after a lot of looking, here are some of my favorite looks for the Rivieria:

Love these long flowing dresses and the airiness of the top of the far Right coupled with the cute hat:

Here Angelina and Brad are on the Riviera sporting a beautiful blush summer dress and him in a very cool hat:

Of course it's necessary to have some French red mixed into any wardrobe:

White with a navy blue striped top are very in this summer and perfect for a stroll along the Riviera:

I still have a few more things to purchase before the trip and am using this as a shopping guide:

1) big hat, 2) great bag for the beach and wandering around town, 3) great coverup, 4) one more pair of very comfortable sandals.

Can't wait for a fantastic week in the South of France!!

Chevron

Chevron is everywhere I turn these days, which suits me just fine since I absolutely love it. On the walls, throws and even on the floors, this pretty pattern is all the rage. Take a look at this beautiful baby nursery:

See more on this nursery here.

Check out these awesome chevron floors:

What an awesome accent wall!

To see more details on these projects, click here.

Where can you incorporate this popular pattern into your home?

Deck the Walls

I lucked out last week while we were moving offices and was able to snag some great art that was not going to be used in our new space. For no more than a little sweat and several trips to load the car, we now have over 10 super cool signed music posters in a plethora of colors. Wow! Yay for free stuff!

So on Friday night, our new home study got an awesome wall cluster. Check out how we decked the walls with our fabulous framed posters:

I'm really excited with the way that it turned out. Can't beat decor that comes with a price tag of $0!! More photos to come....

Terrific Table

I am really excited for my upcoming trip to France. I found this photo and it looks like a quintessential farmhouse in France. The dropped chandeliers, bud vases and fabric along the table have me swooning. And look at those stone floors.

Well done!

Playful Pool House

I am hooked on a new show on Bravo featuring Kathryn Ireland as one of the designers. I absolutely love the pool house she designed here:

I love the incredible incorporation of her many fabrics:

Isn't this look and aren't these fabrics absolutely delicious?? Happy Hump Day!

Wonderful Workspaces

I love little workspaces in a home. They're so charming and artful. Here are a few of my latest faves:

Apartment Therapy

Arianna Belle

Stylizimo Blog

Arianna Belle

Hope you enjoyed a relaxing and wonderful 4th of July weekend. We certainly did here in Austin despite the lack of fireworks. Have a wonderful short week!!

Right for the Riviera

A month from today I leave for France. While the first 10 days will consist of me working abroad, I will be playing in Provence and the French Riviera for the last week in July.

When traveling in France, it's hard not to be hyper aware of the incredible fashion displayed at all times by the French women. Here are some of my favorites captured by the Sartorialist:

Needless to say, I am feeling the pressure to look extra glam on this vacation. I'm on the hunt for a few final goodies. Keep you posted on what I find :)

Happy Friday!