wild west, here we come...

We're heading out for a last minute fourth of July trip to Yellowstone, and I'm so excited to get some sunshine and cool weather in such a beautiful place! Horse back riding, hiking, and hopefully some delicious local food- maybe even a rodeo or two!- are all in store for my holiday weekend. I can't think of a more all-American location to spend such a patriotic and festive holiday! A friend we will be visiting sent some pictures to whet the appetite and we had to share them- gorgeous!

Here is what I'm bringing along... you don't have to sacrifice style to make it in the wild frontier. Understated, rustic accessories will top my favorite jeans and a classic shirt. We'd use belts and one simple piece of jewelry to set off our cowboy boots! Nothing too fussy or over the top. And throw in a warm pom pom scarf for nights out or a cotton throw for those chilly nights watching the stars.

tapestry belts - turquoise floating ring - silver etched earrings - pom pom scarf in tigerlily - russian embroidered belt - gold seed bead bracelet - brown suede mystique sandal - chocolate pom pom blanket - turquoise and coral statement necklace

eating your way through spain...

Family members are in Madrid at present for some good food and the last days of the Feria de San Isidro, the best of the best bullfights at the Plaza de Toros on Madrid. Tomorrow’s spectacle features bulls from El Ventorillo, and no doubt plenty of wine will be flowing from leather wine bags shared amongst strangers. Shouts fall down on the bullfighters from the stands, cheers of approval or shouts of dismay at their performance.  It is a spectacle.

The vibrant colors of the bullfighters from the Feria de San Isidro inspired this collection of Cerulean must-haves. Bright fuchsia from the Matadors stockings, the red, orange and yellow of the capes, the gold trim of their elaborate costumes. The leather and fabrics and fanfare is all represented below.

Gold Medallion Earrings - Tapestry Belts - Cerulean Julie Dresses - Enamel Petal Necklace - Orange Embroidered Clutch - Gold Sandal - Gold Tassel Necklace - Matta Pom Pom Dupatta Scarf - Gold Bead Bracelet - Coral Paisley Scarf

I also asked these family members for their “must-eat” list when in Madrid (some of the travelers make Madrid a regular stop every year, so I trust their opinions on this).  Here are the tops:

O'pazo

http://www.pescaderiascorunesas.es/gran_cocina/restaurante/?id=3

Owned by a famous Spanish fishing company called Pescaderias Corunesas, O'pazo is the epitome of farm- erg, boat - to table.  A beautifully modern, minimal restaurant with just a touch of seaside décor to soften the look, the service is impeccable and the food divine. Visit their fishmonger in town if you are staying in a place where you can cook your own meal, or just stop by to see the spectacle of it all. They’ve shared the recipe for their house specialty with us- Rodaballo al Horno- a flat fish that seems a lot like flounder that is pan sautéed, finished in the oven, and topped with a garlic vinaigrette before bringing the entire fish to the table. Recipe follows (with my translation skills at work here, so be forgiving).

Recipe for Rodaballo al horno (serves four)

Ingredients

1- 4.5 lb rodaballa (flounder or turbot) (2kg)

10 ounces olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

6 ounces red wine vinegar

salt

flour

Heat olive oil in an oven proof skillet or saute pan.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

While the oil is heating, lightly dredge  both sides of the fish in flour. Once the oil is very hot, put in the fish white side down (bottom of the fish down) and cook 2-3 minutes until the white skin has browned. Turn the fish over and put the pan in the oven for 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a serving platter. Finely chop the garlic and combine with the vinegar in a small mixing bowl or jar. Add the oil and dripping juice leftover in the sauté pan. Mix well and pour over the fish. Serve immediately.

Asador Donastiarra

http://www.asadordonostiarra.com/

You juts need to know one thing- go for the meat (asador means grill).

El Sobrino de Botin

http://www.botin.es/web/?q=en
Affectionately referred to as just  ‘Botin’, the oldest restaurant in the world (founded 1725) serves up relevant and tasty fare behind the Plaza Mayor. Try the suckling pig- their specialty.

Check out this video of one of their chefs preparing the suckling pig. Squeamish stomachs need not apply. But you get a good sense of the place and a view of the original oven built when the restaurant first opened its doors 285 years ago…

under the saudi sun...

Below are a few photos that a friend sent me from a recent trip to Saudi Arabia. Had to share...

It's not every day that you see random camels cruising down the side of the highway. Notice the herds of them in the background...

A Saudi wall covered in over-flowing bougainvillea and lush palm trees, with a larger turreted wall in the background.

A beautiful, but somewhat fortified, entrance.

Wooden dhows in downtown Dubai- a pit stop on the way to Riyadh.

Riyadh polo- doesn't seem quite the lush spectacular that I expected for a polo match, but when one lives in the dessert, one works with what he's got.

come sail away...

With Memorial Day fresh in our minds, and the nautical look topping all the style lists for this summer, we’ve pulled together our own fresh and crisp look for you try on for size. Classic navy blue, silver accessories, a gorgeous and airy white summer scarf, and your favorite red bikini make a slightly patriotic but very chic look for your next trip to the beach or pool. If the red white and blue thing isn’t for you, try this cover-up with our striped infinity scarf for a look that’s ready to set sail.

navy cover-up by echo - etched silver earrings - loose weave cotton scarf - silver bead bracelet - navajo sandal - your own red bathing suit

For more ideas like this on how to pull the look together, visit our How to Wear section on our website!

cerulean interviews... grace bonney

We obsessively follow the online musings of Design*Sponge founder Grace Bonney. Her blog/ website extraordinaire covers interiors, style, food, and do-it-yourself projects, and has forums for female entrepreneurs (she speaks our language through and through). Her inspiring site keeps us motivated to try new things. Her use of technology to stay connected while on the go inspired a cerulean travelogue- and so we tracked her down on her iphone between antique fairs, high powered conferences and lowbrow coffee breaks. Here is what she had to say…

cerulean- How did you first begin Design Sponge? What milestones have you reached or are working on reaching with the site?

I began design*sponge in 2004 while I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. ;) I've been proud about a lot of things we've done with the site, but launching the Biz Ladies series in 2008 in person was amazing. I was so proud to have been a part of that, and happy to have been surrounded by so many talented female business owners.

cerulean- How would you describe your own personal style in clothing? vs interiors?

Hmm...I'd say preppy, girly, classic. As I get older I find myself leaning more towards old-school classics and things that make getting dressed and looking pulled together easier. In my interiors I'm the same way, but I take more risks (bright colors, crazy patterns) because I don't have to wear them outside.

cerulean- What are your favorite luxuries in life?

Iced coffee or tea breaks during the day, the occasional car service (vs. the subway), and eating at nice restaurants when we can.

cerulean- What is your favorite vacation destination?

Savanah, Georgia and Montmartre in Paris- they're always locked in a dead heat for first place.

cerulean- What is the one thing that you take from apartment to apartment?

My cats and my husband. Furniture wise? Not a lot- I really enjoy using new apartments as an excuse to trade in old furniture (ebay, craigslist, etc) for "new" used furniture.

cerulean- What can we find you reading?

Magazines or websites, I'm sadly not a huge book reader. Though I've gone through a lot of business books lately.

cerulean- What are your favorite indulgences?

All the pieces listed above, combined with chocolate after almost every meal. Life is too short to pass up really good sweets.

cerulean- Who was your favorite interview/ contributor for Design Sponge?

Working on the Design*Sponge book I got to meet and work with designer Genevieve Gorder, who was the reason I fell in love with design. That was a major high point for me.

cerulean- Who are your interiors style icons?

Dorothy Draper, Ruthie Sommers, my mom.

cerulean- If you had to have a completely different career, what you want it to be?

Something involving food or a specialty food shop.

Grace's blog, Design*Sponge. Click the image to be take directly there.

Grace featured in the November 2008 issue of Domino Magazine, where she and the site are listed as a “leader of the pack”.

stay in the loop while you're out and about....

One might argue that the point of going on vacation is to unplug- literally. Unplug from your computers and modems, your phones and tvs and appliances. To completely get away from the rat race of our daily lives, and this is all true. I completely agree… with one little caveat.

We can only unplug for so long before our jobs and lives demand we return, or else. Most of us cannot go away for months on end and expect our jobs to be there waiting for us when we return. So what if by plugging-IN while on vacation, just a little, we could then stay on vacation twice as long??? If by using the convenience of the very technology we are trying to escape, we can do just enough work to keep our lives and jobs moving along, short vacations can become indefinite hiatuses.

I gave this a lot of thought while on vacation in the Abacos a few years ago. Cerulean was a fledgling little business that needed me, I was sure. How could it go on for 10 days while I was away? I found people I relied on and left it in good hands, and I was home before anything disastrous could happen.

But if I had been on email for a certain period of time every day of that vacation, those 10 days could easily have become a month without major affects to my livelihood. Think about the possibilities! While we go on vacation to escape the overload of technology in our lives, the RIGHT use of technology can send us on a semi-permanent vacation! It’s ironic that bringing work on vacation can in essence extend that vacation, but it’s a thrilling concept, none the less.

As someone who’s REAL life’s ambition is to travel, maybe live somewhere exotic one day, this is a thrilling idea. Without completely cutting off my life, my job or my livelihood, I can hit the road! I can be checking emails in a marketplace in Marrakech, or emailing customers about the fit of a particular shoe from a beach in Bora Bora, or talking on the phone with designers about next season’s collection from Costa Rica. Work goes on and I’m not missing a thing, but Im also able to experience great adventures and other cultures at the same time! All of this is now possible with our phones and the widespread availability of wireless internet, which wasn’t possible just a short number of years ago.

Grace Bonney, founder of style and interiors blog Design*Sponge, recently contributed a guest post on a tech blog about this very thing. We have been obsessed with her inspiring blog for ages and her ideas about using technology to allow you to leave the office, not be chained to it, was right in line with my way of thinking. Check out all the different Apps she uses to stay in the loop while she’s out and about.

You can check out her blog, Design*Sponge, by clicking here, and her tech post by clicking here.

¡Ole!

I am obsessed with anything Mexican, Latin, or Spanish… and so cinco de mayo is always one of my favorite holidays. We had a little soiree last night with good friends under twinkle lights and papel picado banners (the cut tissue paper garlands) with fresh margaritas and homemade tamales. Summer temperatures have arrived along the Gulf Coast (along with a depressing oil slick, it would seem) and so we stayed cool with our fresh cocktails and a shady spot under the trees until the sun went down. You wouldn’t believe how many limes you have to squeeze to get one good margarita, but its worth it. And tamales are much easier than you would think- once you figure out what kind of peppers to buy and plan on soaking the corn husks way in advance, it’s all pretty easy and cheap! Of course the first round of margaritas went down too easy, and by the end of the evening we were in heated political debates and trying on dresses in the Cerulean stock room late night. Nothing like some post-cocktail shopping! Sadly, most of the photos didn’t turn out since we dined on a dimly lit screened porch- you couldn’t get a feel for the fiesta. Below is what we have… while the image of a few of the guests came out all blurry, I love it that you are getting a frame by frame laugh!

TOMS shoes deal...

Cerulean is offering our customers a special deal through Toms shoes this Mother’s Day! Save $5 On Any Pair of Toms Shoes! Click here to activate your code and then enter coupon code MOTHERS at checkout. Offer expires 5/16/10


About Toms Shoes
TOMS was born in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie out of a commitment to produce stylish, comfortable, and practical footwear while improving the lives of children around the world.Every pair sold is personally matched with a donated pair to a child in need. TOMS collection is inspired by Alpargatas, the trusted utility shoe of Argentine workers. “I was overwhelmed by the spirit of the South American people, especially those who had so little,” Mycoskie says.“And I was instantly struck with the desire – the responsibility – to do more.”The shoes are composed of high quality, durable materials including lightweight, breathable canvas, resilient soles and soft leather in soles for maximum comfort.TOMS functions under the credo of No Sweatshops and all of the materials and products are produced and manufactured in Argentina under the strictest guidelines, ensuring both fair labor practices and minimal impact on the environment.

About Blake Mycoskie
After years of successful entrepreneurial endeavors, Blake Mycoskie put his life on hold and took a well deserved extended vacation.First stop, South America. Brazil, Uruguay and finally Argentina in January 2006, Mycoskie quickly immersed himself into the Argentine culture; he learned to sail, tango and play competitive polo.He unquestionably felt at home in the foreign land, invigorated and inspired.However, Mycoskie quickly became aware of the difficulties of the impoverished people in Argentina. He was challenged emotionally as he visited villages without fresh water and where few, if any, of the children had shoes. The lack of basic needs contributed to many health issues, infections, and in the most extreme circumstances, even death. “Inspired by a traditional Argentine shoe and challenged by continent’s poverty and heath issues, I created TOMS with a singular mission: To make life more comfortable,” says Mycoskie. TOMS accomplishes this through a unique shoe and Mycoskie’s commitment to match every pair purchased with a pair to a child in need…no complicated formulas, it’s simple…you buy a pair of TOMS and TOMS gives a pair to a child on your behalf.

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!

windy city...

Just spent an amazing few days in (a surprisingly warm) Chicago with friends. The sun was shining, the food was to die for, and the shopping was killer, literally. We hit every shop and tea spot from Michigan Avenue to Bucktown and Lincoln Park, and most of what was in between. Nursing a cold, but determined to enjoy everything the windy city has to offer (at least, everything that can be enjoyed in only a few days) we made our way along the river, dyed an abnormal green for St Paddys Day.

A few highlights of the trip…

The Art Institute- As an art fanatic (art major and I have worked for an Art Museum for the last four years) I was in heaven. But my (less artistically inclined) spouse was just as amazed at their permanent collection as I was. Everywhere you turn is another Monet or Picasso, Cindy Sherman, or El Greco. It was almost laughable the big names gracing their walls! We missed a Matisse exhibition by only a few days (poor planning on my part) but I hope some of you go see it for me! The American Art from 1960 was the best…

111 South Michigan Avenue
Winslow Homer, American, 1836-1910, The Water Fan, 1898/99

Chicago deep dish pizza- This deep dish pizza hit the spot after a few hours exploring the streets. Tomato sauce on top of the cheese works perfectly for me (so I can swiftly remove it from my pie- personal preference). My friend Jennifer says you can order the deep dish and have it overnight-delivered anywhere in the country, but without the deep dish pans or the perfect ovens, it isn’t quite the same when cooked at home.

Tea at the Peninsula Hotel- Scones, tea sandwiches, a huge list of teas and impeccable service. This was the perfect respite from a tiring day of shopping. Life is hard.

108 E Superior St
Red Light- A Chicago favorite for pan-Asian fare in a funky atmosphere. Wrinkled green beans and Lychee martinis are a must. I ate too much, as usual.

820 W. Randolph

Hugo’s Frog Bar and Fish House- Enormous portions of fresh fish, oysters, lobsters and shrimp, foot tall key lime pie, and an Irish Bagpipe band to boot? We had a good time, especially since it was the night before St. Paddy’s day!

1024 North Rush Street


One I hated to miss...
Hot Chocolate
I had plans to visit Hot Chocolate, a cozy little place on Damen run by three-time James Beard nominee Mindy Segal. Just the mention of the term Gastropub gets me salivating like Pavlov’s dog. The menu promised Mussels with bacon, shallots, garlic, PBR, and local chiles. YUM! House-made, beer-poached soft pretzels with Taleggio fondue- ahh! To-die-for Mac and Cheese, Burgers, and Entrees, but the piece de résistance are the desserts. Mindy is a pastry chef, after all. It is on the top of my list for my next trip to Chicago.

1747 North Damen Avenue

inspiration: florence, italy...

While looking through some photos from a recent trip to Italy, I came across these images of the Duomo in Florence and the view from the top of the dome. The sights, sounds and smells of this day are all fresh in my memory. We had just left an amazing cafe serving pesto pea pizzas and buffalo mozzarella that was more similar to ice cream than cheese. As an art history major, I was soaking up all of the art and architecture. The climb to the top of the dome did a hat trick on my claustrophobia, but the view from the top was worth every moment stuck in a cramped large, spiraling staircase between the inner and outer domes.

Inspired by the colors of these images- the soft grays, pale green, terracotta, and loads of white- I put together this sampling of Cerulean. You can call it, living in images of Florence.

the saints go marching in...

While we all know the Super Bowl took place in Miami this past Sunday night, I knew the party was going to be happening in New Orleans. So we headed down there early Sunday morning to check out the festivities and enjoy some amazing Creole cuisine in the French Quarter.

By 11 am an impromptu parade was gearing up made up of revelers in black and gold head to toe. There were plenty of gold spandex unitards, fleur de lis, and glitter wigs, dogs wearing Brees jerseys and normally bizarre street performers being outdone by locals on parade. An incessant chorus of “Who Dat?” wafted from the streets and the insides of buildings and fell down on us from the balconies above Bourbon. The city was more alive than it is on Fat Tuesday and everyone… I mean everyone… was having a good time.

We settled in for a delicious lunch at my favorite, Galatoire’s, with piping hot French bread, cocktails and oysters flowing to our table from the kitchen. We shared fresh lump blue crabmeat prepared numerous ways, pan fried fish and café brulot that Billy flambeaued with such panache. (image above) Periodically some of the revelers from outside would parade through the white table cloth establishment carrying boom boxes blasting “When the saints come marching in”. Diners waved white napkins in the air and chanted “Who dat” back to the paraders (who, we were told, were friends of the chef). The spirit got to such a frenzy that anytime someone- ANYONE- walked through the door of the restaurant, diners stood up and cheered them! It was a spectacular day to be in New Orleans.
Good thing we were not in a hurry to get anywhere, because the city shut down all streets leading in and out of the French Quarter and the party intensified. Mardi Gras meets the Super Bowl equals a fantastic New Orleans kind of day! Below are pictures of Saints parades both on the streets and through Galatoire’s.

Given the excitement about the Big Easy with the Super Bowl win and Fat Tuesday just around the corner, we thought this was a good time to share our New Orleans City Guide. Full of our favorite spots to eat and shop, this travel guide will take you through the cities delights from Bourbon Street down Magazine Street and all through Uptown.

Click here to check out our New Orleans City Guide…

eating your way through nyc...

As promised, we tried some new and notable restaurants while in New York City last week amidst the most intense cold snap imaginable. We also, unfortunately, tried some not-so-notable places, but the good out-weighed the bad on this trip. Here are two stand outs…

Company is a pizza place right next to… nothing… on 9th avenue and 26th street. While you probably won’t ever be in the neighborhood, its worth a trip for the thin pizza pies on a soft crust with fabulous toppings. Most notable were the “Popeye” which had fresh spinach, toasted until crisp in the giant pizza ovens over gobs of melted gruyere and buffalo mozzarella, and the "Flambe" (reminiscent of the Alsatian Tarte Flambee) with caramelized onions, lardons and béchamel. Don’t let the faux fireplace blazing on a big screen tv fool you- the food is authentic and delicious. They don't take reservations and tables are communal, but it kind of adds to the fun.
230 Ninth Avenue, New York, www.co-pane.com

History and contemporary sensibilities collide at Commerce, housed in the newly restored Grange Hall in Greenwich Village, once a Depression-era speakeasy (and formerly The Blue Mill Tavern). Tiny and bustling and tucked away on one of those streets you would miss if you blinked, the cocktails are divine and the food is too. I dined on roasted sweet potato tortelloni with hazelnuts, pomegranate and a buerre noisette, as well as sazeracs and champagne cocktails with house-made grenadine. It was a fabulous evening staying warm and catching up with old friends in a bistro-style café on a back street on a cold night.
50 Commerce Street, New York, www.commercerestaurant.com

Of course we hit some tried and true favorites that can’t be missed when in New York- Pastis for a brunch of oysters, croque monsieur, pomme frites and café au lait, and Le Pain Quotidian for flaky croissants, steel cut oatmeal and herb teas. If I hadn’t walked about a thousands miles while there, I know I would have come home twice my original size. But that is the beauty of Yew York- eat divine food and then walk it off through Central Park!

bundled up, then and now...

Heading to New York for a chilly weekend of buying and meetings with importers from around the world- hoping to find some fabulous things for this Spring! I have an appointment with a silk importer who has some fabulous new colors for the Julie dress, and we plan on bringing back lots of Moroccan baskets, silk scarves and beach cover ups for the warmer months ahead.

I came across this photo yesterday of little bitty me in an adorable yellow coat in Rockefeller center right after my fourth birthday. Wish I could look this cute this weekend while I’m bundled up to beat the 15 degree weather. But I do promise to try some new restaurants and share the scoop, as well as visit some old favorites. I can’t go to New York without a trip to Le Pain Quotidian, Pastis and Café Habana!

winter citrus...

Citrus is everywhere right now, being fresh in season, and I am constantly looking for new recipes to use up all the gorgeous satsumas (made marmalade), lemons (see the lemon meringue torte) and grapefruits that friends and neighbors have been sharing. What I love about these perfect fruits is that they aren’t perfect at all. A real lemon fresh off a tree looks nothing like the plastic-y perfect fruit found in most grocery stores! The outsides are blemished and rough, and the insides are heaven on earth. I may be biased, but I think the further south you go the better the citrus becomes, and it keeps me thinking of south Florida this time of year.

The absolute, without question, best fruit stand in south Florida is Robert Is Here on the way to the keys. So pack your convertible, save room for a bushel or two of produce and head to Homestead. Robert Is Here Fruit Stand was established in the late fall of 1959. At that time, a six-year-old boy was set on this very corner with some of his father’s cucumber crop and told to “Sell ‘em!” Robert sat all day that Saturday and no one even stopped. That evening, Robert’s father decided that “there can’t be that many people who don’t like cucumbers; they must not see this little boy standing here on the corner.”

The next day, Robert’s father placed a sign on each side of the table proclaiming in big red letters “Robert Is Here.” By noon Robert had sold all of the cucumbers. The following weekend, a neighboring farmer added tomatoes to Robert’s display and a fruit stand was born. Robert was out on the corner every day during Christmas break, and when school started again in January of 1960, Robert’s mother made arrangements for the bus to pick him up and drop him off at the fruit stand. He and his mother would set up the stand each morning and leave a coffee can on the table. Customers paid by leaving the money in the can using the honor system. The bus would drop Robert off after school and he would work his stand until it got dark. By the time Robert was nine years old, he had hired a neighbor lady to work for him while he was in school. Robert bought his first ten-acres of property when he was fourteen and planted an avocado grove.

Specializing in all sorts of tropical fruits, including some you’ve never heard of, Robert also sells canned produce using his mother’s recipes, makes up fresh shakes and smoothies and other goodies, and often has live music playing. It’s an experience.
Robert is Here 19200 SW 344th Street. Homestead, FL

Head out from Robert Is Here down South Dixie Highway and Highway One and you’ve reached the Keys. One of the best meals I’ve ever had was at the Marquesa in Key West on New Year’s Eve several years ago. One block from the famous (and rowdy) Duval Street, this former Catholic boardinghouse painted pale aqua-blue and yellow houses an award-winning boutique hotel and restaurant. The “innovative” Café Marquesa serves "fine Caribbean-Continental" food. The hotel rooms, restored 1884 conch houses, are situated around a little secluded garden oasis where we were served champagne on New Years after our amazing dinner of Lamb. Rated number 1 in Florida by Travel & Leisure Magazine, the hotel made their list of the 500 of the Worlds Best Hotels. The best part about it? Today’s weather report reads Sunny and 74 degrees.
http://www.marquesa.com/