guest travelogue: courtney barton

“What a long strange trip its been”

My friend Courtney Barton, former co-Hollywould employee and blogger extraordinaire, has just returned to her homeport of Kuala Lumpur from an adventure in India and Nepal. The images she shared with us along the way were mind blowing (I hope she is working on a book!) and I wanted to share some with you guys. It has inspired me to make a similar journey- I just need to borrow her itinerary!

I have to add that she looks fabulous in a turban, and I think this is a trend that needs to resurface. Everyone looks better poolside with a good martini and a turban. I also love the vintage-quality of these first few images.

Below is an excerpt from her fabulous blog, in(side) the loop, about her recent travels. Click here to visit her blog for the full shake down.

“I'm finally back and it will take a while to digest the full intensity of India and Nepal, not to mention the deluge of photos I snapped along the way.

The trip was certainly trying at times with the barrage of touts, hardcore negotiations when purchasing everything from chewing gum to antiques, an overnight ride on the Indian Railways, and [holy] cow feces projected onto my legs not once, but twice—yet I still found myself in constant awe of the unforgettable sights. I interviewed a princess, watched a Hindu cremation ceremony on the Ganges, rode camels into the sand dune sunset, and ate my weight in garlic naan [which, by the way, is as close to Nirvana as I've ever been]. These memories will forever be impressed in my mind and soul.”

I'm dying to get a hold of these slippers. Heaven on earth is a marketplace selling handmade shoes!

cerulean interviews...

Today we are launching a new section of our website, cerulean interviews. While it is a work in progress, it will be a constantly evolving section that features the people who inspire us most. There will be some designers to the stars, professional taste-makers, but for the most part we are interviewing girls we know that rock. I can guarantee that the pages will be filled with young entrepreneurs who love travel, fashion, food and interiors as much as we do, and who are constantly challenging themselves (and us) to be better and more interesting individuals. People who live by the mantra, "Travel's greatest purpose is to replace and empty mind with an open one."

Enjoy.

Click to read the first Cerulean Interviews.

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.