Monday, April 27, 2009

best job in the world…




I have mistakenly been under the impression that I have the best job in the world. Think about it- I get to shop for beautiful things all across the world and share them with all of my friends (and fans of Cerulean). I get to write about my adventures, interview designers, and help people find the perfect outfit for the special occasions in their life! I am surrounded by beautiful things all day long and spend hours talking and writing about all of it.

But as I said, I was mistaken. I have just found THE BEST job in the world, and they’ve been taking applications.

Im afraid you are too late if you want to apply, however. Sadly, I bring you this news just a bit too late. Good thing, or I would have applied and left the Cerulean life behind in a heartbeat! The islands of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia are looking for a “caretaker”. I use the term caretaker loosely, because it seems to me that all that is required of you is to enjoy everything the Great Barrier Reef has to offer, and then report back about how great it is. Snorkel and dive, hike and explore, soak up endless hours of down-under sunshine… and then blog about it, give a phone interview about it, share with the world the fabulosity of it all! What a deal.

I visited the Whitsunday Islands several years ago (the name of that string of islands around The Great Barrier Reef) and was blown away by their beauty. Endless hours of snorkeling and tranquility are offered to those who hop the boat for the jaunt from the mainland. I stayed on an island with one tiny hotel, nothing more, and hiked the length of the island on both sides without once crossing paths with another soul. As fabulous as my trip was, it pales in comparison to the three-bedroom house on glamorous Hamilton Island where the “caretaker” will keep his “office”.

They’ve narrowed down the applicants to a sweet sixteen and will pick the finalist soon. But the good news is that he or she can bring a friend… there is till hope for us all!

The above images are from the job's website. I'm trying to track down the photo album from my own trip to the Great Barrier Reef (including some horrendous pictures of me trying to windsurf (classic) but as yet no luck. Will keep you posted.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

classic bride honeymoon...


We are thrilled to be featured this week on Classic Bride! Sarah Darcy brings fabulous images and insights into planning the perfect wedding (or party for that matter) and honeymoons, too! Sarah, planning her own second honeymoon, grabbed a pair of our new Mystique turquoise stone sandals to wear while on her warm-weather trip. We are thrilled to have her as a fan, and we love her beautiful blog! Check it out at http://classicbride.blogspot.com/.

Monday, April 20, 2009

on the move…

Planning and preparing for a trip is an enormous part of the fun. Reading guidebooks and reviews of restaurants and hotels, planning visits to out of the way spots, and of course, organizing your wardrobe and packing the essentials is an integral part of the travel process. The trip is rewarding from the moment you being to ponder the possibilities.

We’ve been pondering the many possibilities of the new luggage that arrived at our offices this week. Fabulous cotton canvas carry-ons and cosmetic cases in basket weave and ikat prints will let you schlep your belongings around the world in style. The bags have comfy shoulder straps, a big top zipper that opens wide to help you find your things, and perfect pockets to keep it all organized. The outside pockets are sized perfectly- one to hold your passport and plane tickets, the other to old magazines and books for the long journey. I wouldn’t have designed it any differently.These bags leave us inspired and dreaming of a vacation faraway, and so after surfing away our lunch break on our favorite site for travel inspiration, Conde Nast Traveler, we came across a Top 20 List of Journey’s of a Lifetime. I can’t imagine anything better! Below are our top three, pulled straight from their list, and we are packing our bags in our heads already…

Pan American Highway , From North To South America
The Pan-American Highway is a network of interconnecting roads stretching some 22,500km, as the condor flies, from north of the Arctic Circle down to the tip of Chile through a vast range of landscapes and climates. You can cover the North and Central American section from Anchorage to Panama City in 16 weeks, or travel the entire journey from Anchorage to Ushuaia in 25 weeks (including a short flight from Panama to Quito). The list of highlights is almost as long as the journey itself and includes National Parks (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion), ancient sights ( Machu Picchu, Tulum, Chichén Itzá) and many cultures (Navajo, Mayan, Aztec and Inca). Safety might be a concern in some parts, and various companies lead trips with groups, but we love the idea of renting a Land Cruiser and heading off on this adventure!

Trans Sahara Journey, Africa
Journey into the awe-inspiring wilderness of the largest desert and one of the hottest places on earth on a five-week camping safari through the Western Sahara from Morocco to Senegal, organised by adventure and discovery holiday specialist Guerba (01373 826611; www.guerba.com). Starting in Casablanca, the route takes in the cities of Rabat and Fès (including a tour of the Roman ruins at Volubilis), and, after a camel trek into the desert at Merzouga, crosses the High Atlas past Todra Gorge to Marrakech. The remaining weeks are spent following the Atlantic Ocean coast southwards, through the vast expanse of desert and the Banc d'Arguin National Park, rejoining Tarmac roads beyond Nouakchott. At Dakar, the final stopping point, there is an excursion to the former slave-trading centre on Goree Island. The thought of all the marketplaces full of leather goods and jewels, plus the image of us riding a camel, have us entranced by the possibilities!

Glacier Express, Switzerland
The Glacier Express runs between St Moritz and Zermatt, a journey that takes about seven to eight hours along a narrow-gauge track through unsurpassed Alpine scenery. Highlights include the Albula Pass valley where the Express climbs quickly, reaching the village of Bergün and looping through superbly engineered tunnels to Preda, the Oberalp Pass (where you wind down a valley from 1,525 metres), and the climb to Zermatt with the Matterhorn in view. We are hoping to go in the winter to see the snow.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

lucky you...


We just found out that Lucky Magazine has picked one of our fabulous scarves as a "Top 10 Scarves for Spring" on the Lucky List! We have always loved Lucky and their ability to poke out the cool, new, wearable and affordable items for all of us shopaholics, and we are honoreed to be included (again!) on one of their Top Lists! Check out the scarf by clicking the image at right, and check out the Top 10 List on Luckmag.com!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

new inspirations in kuala lumpur...


One of our favorite bloggers is jumping ship for the far east. Courtney Barton of In(side) the Loop has left her Houston home for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! We tracked Courtney down in an airport halfway between her former Texas home and her new one to get the scoop on what is happening to her fabulous blog. Courtney assures us that In(side) the Loop will continue under its name, but with slightly different inspirations.

As a blog on fashion, design, lifestyle and more, Courtney finds daily inspiration from the world around her, and until this week, that world was inside the loop of Houston, Texas. Her travels also heavily influence her writings, as well as the time she spent living and working (designing!) in New York City. Courtney and I worked together at Hollywould Shoes during its early days (sigh- it is now closed and so is my access to those fabulous ballets and girly stilettos!), and we are two Southern gals who love the big city and find our inspirations in very similar things.

So In(side) the Loop continues, but will be just as interesting, if not more so now that Courtney’s surroundings will be incredibly exotic! We can’t wait to find out what she has to say from her new Malaysian outpost!

Below is an excerpt from In(side) the Loop. Courtney often features a list of things to see, eat, shop and drink in the cities to which she travels. It is only fitting that her last list from the old USA covers Houston. Enjoy…

“Last but not least, I'd wish for more time in this city I now call home. I think Houston is the one of the most overlooked and misjudged cities in the States. It's far hipper than most people imagine and literally has something for every walk of life. It's warm, engaging and treats you like a friend the longer you stay. But then again it should be pretty special because, after all, Houston was the first word spoken when the Lunar Module touched down. This city's list may be a tad longer than the rest, but isn't everything bigger in Texas?”

Click here to read the who, what, where of Houston on In(side) the Loop.