The Grounds at The Parker Palm Springs
I recently took a jaunt to Palm Springs for a long weekend getaway with my best friends to celebrate our birthdays and it was one of the most relaxing trips I’ve taken in a while. I’m sure this had something to do with the fact that I completely unplugged which allowed me to truly unwind and recharge my batteries. We enjoyed our stay at two fabulous hotels: The Colony Palms and The Parker Palm Springs which gave us an opportunity to experience two completely different vibes. The Parker had a whimsical and uber cool, retro chic feel while The Colony Palms was a bit more laid back with a sexy, romantic vibe. Both hotels featured stunning interiors which I will be posting about soon! In the meantime, enjoy these scenic snapshots from my trip!
The chic pool at The Parker…
A highlight of the weekend was going for a beautiful early morning bike ride through the desert with my bestie. This was one of the glorious views from our ride…
And these were our rides. I’m a total sucker for a vintage bike with a basket!
Here and below are more shots of the beautifully landscaped grounds at The Parker…
A wind farm on our scenic drive into Palm Springs from LA…
The pool at The Colony Palms.
Looking up into the trees…
Classic Palm Springs scenery!
For the dining tablescape I set for my entertaining essentials TV segment, I contrasted textures and materials to create an beautiful table that was accented by dim candlelight and gorgeous floral arrangements. There’s no rule that says your dinnerware has to match and here I mixed together a croc printed silver charger with a classic white with silver rim dinner plate and a glass salad plate that featured an interesting textural pattern. When entertaining for a very special occasion I always say linen napkins are a must and soft candlelight really helps set the mood mood…it’s also the most flattering light! I added candlesticks in varying heights for added visual interest and also clustered groups of votives along the table which is a simple way to make a big impact. The flatware I used for the segment had black, wooden handles which I thought provided a nice contrast and I used classic white stemware for wine and water. I topped it off with gorgeous arrangement made with white hydrangea and orchids, courtesy of In Bloom New York. Below, is some inspiration for how you can achieve a similar look for your next dinner party!
1. Dinnerware L-R: Stainless Steel Chargers, $49.95/set of 4 at Crate & Barrel. Calvin Klein Basso Dinner Plate, $37. Iittala “Dew Drop” salad plate, $16 at Bloomingdale’s. | 2. LaGuiole Flatware, $89.95 at Williams-Sonoma. | 3. Miller Rogaska Weston Candlesticks, $94.99-119.99/pair at Bed Bath & Beyond. | 4. Glass Votives, $26.99/pack of 72 at Amazon.com. | 5. Monnogrammed Hotel Dinner Napkins, $46/set of 6 at Williams-Sonoma. | 6. Swirl Stemware, $12.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond. | 7. In Bloom Collection “Saragosa Garden” floral arrangement, $150 at Plant Shed NY.
Since Summer is here I’ve been buying up lots of summer berries and I love to bake so last weekend I tried out this lowfat blueberry muffin recipe from an awesome iPad app I recently downloaded called the Photo Cookbook Baking App. The muffins are made with yogurt and egg whites so they’re totally healthy and taste amazing! Mine came out so perfect I had to take a photo and here’s the recipe so you can try them yourself!
Lowfat Blueberry Muffins
from The Photo Cookbook Baking App
scant 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground allspice
generous ½ cup superfine sugar
3 large egg whites
3 tbsp lowfat margarine (*Note: I substituted an equal amount of olive oil for margarine)
⅔ cup thick lowfat plain
yogurt or blueberry-flavored yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 oz/85 g fresh blueberries
makes 12 muffins:
1. Preheat your oven to 375° F and place your paper liners in a muffin pan
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and half the allspice together in a large mixing bowl. Add half the sugar and allspice and mix well
3. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg whites together then add the margarine, yogurt and vanilla and mix together. Next stir in the blueberries.
4. Add the fruit mixture to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Don’t over stir and it’s fine fr the mixture to be a little lumpy.
5. Divide the mixture evenly between the paper liners. Each cup should be about 2/3 full. Mix the remaining sugar together with the allspice and sprinkle it over the muffins.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until risen. Remove the muffins from the oven.
7. Enjoy!
As I mentioned, this recipe came from The Photo Cookbook Baking App for iPad and iPhone which features the most beautifully photographed recipes with easy to follow step-by-step instructions. If you have an iPhone or iPad and love to bake I highly recommend downloading it here from the App Store! Below are a few screenshots!
Top photo by me
On April 5th luxury publisher Assouline will release a new coffee table book that celebrates the beauty and magic of St. Barths which happens to be one of my all-time favorite vacation destinations. Written by Pamela Fiori (who also authored In the Spirit of Capri), In the Spirit of St. Barths is full of captivating photos, giving us an up close look at the posh Caribbean isle that evokes the glamour of the French Riviera and is synonymous with chic. Think yachts, champagne, beautiful beaches and beautiful people. Below is a little peek at what you’ll find inside! (Photos and captions from In the Spirit of St. Barths are courtesy of Assouline).
“Sunset on Shell Beach in Gustavia is a good time to find treasures from the sea.”
“Gustavia watercolor on paper by Stanislas Defize.”
“Gustavia harbor lit up at dusk.”
“A colorful harbor view.”
“It takes a skilled pilot to land on the 2,170-foot-long runway without ending up in the Baie de St. Jean.”
You can order your copy of In the Spirit of St. Barths here. And since we’re on the subject, I thought I’d share a few of my own photos of St. Barths that also capture the spirit of this idyllic little island. Now who’s ready for a vacay?!
Today marks the start of New York Fashion Week for the Fall 2011 season and I can’t think of a name more synonymous with fashion in this vibrant city than The New York Times’ Bill Cunningham. Before the term “street style” was even invented and before names like The Sartorialist and Garance Dore ever surfaced, Bill Cunningham was trolling the streets of New York on his Schwinn documenting the latest trends and the enviable style of high society and fashion industry fixtures for his popular column in The New York Times Styles section. Next month, a documentary that chronicles Cunningham’s storied career will hit theatres across the country in limited release. Filmmaker Richard Press spent nearly 10 years working on this film which also provides a rare glimpse into Cunningham’s daily. (He’s generally very publicity shy.) At 81 and brimming with energy, Bill Cunninham is an icon and is still snapping pictures and chronicling style on the setreets of New York City. As he puts it, “the best fashion show is definitely on the street. Always has been. Always will be.” Check out the film’s trailer below and click here to find out where Bill Cunningham New York is playing near you. Showings begin on March 16th.
Bill Cunningham New York from So Haute on Vimeo.
