Shoe MVP

When I found out that we were going to the theme parks in Orlando in August, I freaked out about WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR..AAHHHH!

I'm a disaster when it comes to casual comfort clothes. I'm either in a dress and the tallest shoes ever made or sweat pants and Crocs - no in between.

So I caved and purchased my first pair of Birks for the comfort and LOOK THEY ARE SHINY! It was the best decision ever (Thanks E for recommending). They also stayed on during crazy upside down roller coasters.

Black Patent Birko-Flor Gizeh

I'm officially a hippie now, right?

*sorry for the caps lock. Birkenstock did not sponsor this post. I'm just passionate about shoes.

A little vacation

I'm back from a family vacation to here...



...nope, not to Italy but to fantasy land.









Gotta love Florida in August during an unseasonably hot summer.

Summer Getaway

Since I have no big plans this summer, I'll live vicariously through others' vacation homes.

via The New York Times

See more pictures here and read the story about this summer retreat in the Hamptons.

lostrivermodern

One day I plan on making it over to lostrivermodern for a mini vacation ... one day ...











find out more on lostrivermodern's website

(top picture via lostrivermodern. remaining pictures via dwell.com)

Back from the snowy mountains

I'm back from our family ski trip to Vermont.

Check out the lovely house we stayed in. I kept redecorating the inside of the house in my head all weekend.

Ludlow, VT

The Lodge

The Lodge, Sir Richard Branson's Mountain Retreat Hotel, located in Verbier, Switzerland. Looks like a lovely place to be on a snowy day.

Chilly house, warm ski lodge

Our house is cold. Real cold. The dude saw his breath yesterday.

Since we have an old house with very little insulation, there is really no point in turning on the heat until the weather channel has a super cold advisory and tells you to check on the elderly and small children. We normally try to go until December 1st before we turn on the heat. It's a test of will and warmth strategies.

The dude called his mother the other day, saying that I was trying to kill him but I told him that not turning on the heat is to get him ready for ski season.

I'm sure this lovely ski lodge in Falls Creek, Victoria, Australia has heat. Wish I was there...

A Maine Wedding

Over the weekend we took a short trip with a long drive up to Portland, Maine for a wedding of a college friend. The wedding and reception took place at the gorgeous Black Point Inn. We are already making mental notes to come back and stay at the Inn!

The home renovator/restorer in us squealed when we saw that the hotel is part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Glass door knobs and beautiful woodwork! Yippie!

P.S.- We also had dinner at Hugo's in Portland on Saturday. Hugo's Chef, Rob Evans is the Winner 2009 James Beard Foundation, Best Chef Northeast. I highly recommend this place! I'm still dreaming of the duck entree.

Surfari

I was mega bummed when Cottage Living magazine went under. I had just renewed my subscription a month prior and it was replaced with Coastal Living. The “coast” is about 50 miles away from me so I figured I would just deal with it and pass on the issues to the dude’s mom. To my surprise, the décor sections of the magazine are littered with pops of color against white. This month they featured The Surf Lodge. If the hotel was a soup, its base would be Jonathan Adler’s The Parker with a dash of a ski lodge and some boho chic thrown in for a bit of spice. I’m ready to pack up my flip flops and head on out to Montauk!