Aside from the excitement of the redesign I had a rough week, and just as I started to feel sorry for myself I decided to hop the train down to Portland to visit my guy. Again I had the day to bop around and find some great food and sweets. It’s kind of obvious by my favorites below that sugar and shopping were precisely the therapy I needed to kick my ass back into gear.

I’m hoping these will help you seek out some fun the next time you’re able to sneak away to PDX. Kiss!

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Chocolate goodies from Cacao. This is what a $50 bag of gourmet chocolate looks like. The Claudio Corallo is my guy’s favorite, the big orange bar in the back is the Francois Pralus Barre Infernale Lait for mom and is the most decadent, buttery hazelnut chocolate bar ever. The jar is for me and is Askinosie (I’ve posted on his chocolate before) chocolate hazelnut spread. Seriously, worth every penny.

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Pebble Vases by Sugahara Glassworks, Japan. I got two of these in orange for mom on Mother’s Day and she loved them so much she asked about adding a few more. I stopped back by Canoe to grab a couple, and at $24 each it’s a great deal. They’re handcrafted by one of Japan’s oldest and most respected glass artisans and are meant to  hold a single flower or blade of grass to symbolize the importance of a simple gesture. 

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Ice cream flight at Salt & Straw. A farm-to-cone ice cream shop that’s a must-do in PDX. 17% butterfat, little air from the churn process, and is light  on sugar so you can actually taste the ingredients. Front to back: Stumptown Coffee and Cacao Nibs, Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache, (local) Olive Oil, Banana with Spicy Monkey Caramel and Walnuts. 

These concept designs are for Deep Ocean Technology‘s soon-to-be luxury hotel in Dubai. The hotel consists of a series of discs above and below the surface of the water. Below the surface there are 21 rooms, an underwater dive center, and a bar. Above are the lobby, restaurant, spa, and recreation areas.

Anyone else have visions of Louis Gossett Jr. and a giant shark? Regardless though, it’s a really cool concept.

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Seems they’ve also seen Jaws 3 so the plans call for a safety system that’s integrated with international weather and earthquake warning systems, cameras, and remotely operated underwater vehicles stationed around the underwater discs.

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I came across this Katie Ermilio dress on Shopbop the other day and I still haven’t been able to shake it from my thoughts. Not only is it taffeta (squeal!), but that lovely full A-line skirt you see is detachable, and when removed it gives way to an elegant and fitted cocktail dress.

I’m sorry, but I could rock the hell out this dress, and that’s without ever removing the outer skirt. I’m also really taken with how the deep V bustline and the same shape of the thin straps at the back exposes a lot of skin, but with such an elegant shape overall the look is pure class.

The price is quite high at $1,600 but as a fan of all of Ermilio’s past designs, and with all of the attention she’s gotten lately, I can only see investing in a piece from her as a wise one. Right about now I’m wondering how much I have saved in my coin jar….

If you’re interested in a quick rundown on Ermilio, here’s a great article. (Oh yeah, and by the way, she’s 26 years old.)

Domaine d’Orfeuilles Sparkling Touraine Rosé

I don’t much care for liquor, I’m not sure I’ve ever finished a beer, wine makes me sleepy…but oh how I love bubbles. Forget the pretentious stigma (it’s not about looks) it’s about effervescent bubbly bliss in a bottle, and for the perfect one I introduce you to Domaine d’Orfeuilles Sparkling Touraine Rosé.

My guy and I have had a blast tasting and profiling this, and here’s what we’ve got:

With divine hints of wild strawberry and freshly baked shortbread, this 100% Malbec wine sparkles with a dry, crisp taste and a perfect texture that tickles your mouth and nose. I mean, check out those sexy streams of bubbles. It’s a hand-crafted artisan wine that uses the traditional method of fermentation called méthode champenoise where the wine is aged (this one in a limestone cave called a tuffeau) for 2-3 years allowing the traditional second fermentation in the bottle to happen, ultimately creating a more complex wine.

Making the bubbles even more enjoyable are the vineyards sustainable farming methods while also working to transition to organic farming. I’d gladly pay 3x as much for this lovely bottle, but the bubble gods are shining down and luckily the price point is between $15 and $17.

No special occasion needed. Just pop a bottle and à la vôtre (cheers)!

I’m uninspired and run over after a long few days at the restaurant, so this is all I got. I’m dreaming of this…just snuggles, snacks, and naps.

[Thanks for the pinspiration Kimi.]

Kiss!

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Summer dress for an impromptu al fresco brunch. Love the kimono style of this dress, complete with the sweetest drop-waist skirt. Too bad the skirt was so short the back of my legs looked very much like the stripes on the tablecloth, thanks to the picnic-style chairs. Ah, but who cares it was a gorgeous day, and my legs hadn’t seen the sun in for-ev-er.

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On The Radio Live (1983). I’ve unabashedly confessed my obsession over disco music a few times before, so of course I was really sad to hear that Donna Summer had passed away yesterday. She has always been, and will continue to be one of my all-time favorite artists. Here’s a sweet little performance to celebrate The Queen of Disco and her talents that went far beyond that title.

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Gucci’s iconic Flora scarf as Cole & Son wallpaper

Once upon a time, in 1966 to be exact, there was a man named Vittorio Accornero. Vittorio, a skilled illustrator, was summoned by the House of Gucci to create a scarf; but not just any scarf, a magical scarf with “an explosion of flowers” that would be a special gift for the lovely Princess Grace Kelly.* Vittorio worked and worked and when he returned with his design it was a masterpiece fit to be printed on silk, and worthy as a gift for a princess. It would be called the Flora scarf and would soon be used in a wide range of garments, purses, and jewelry so that every girl could feel like a princess.

This is the stuff dreams are made of, like, a grown-up version of unicorns and rainbows, but this one is REAL.

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Gucci’s Flora Scarf $415

Okay, so fast-forward to this year’s Milan Furniture Fair where Wallpaper* magazine hosted their annual Handmade exhibition in which designers and brands are commissioned to create concept pieces to be featured and possibly make their way into production. In an epic collaboration between Gucci and Cole & Son wallpaper of London, the Flora scarf (resurrected by Gucci’s creative director Frida Giannini  in 2006, slightly reworked and recolored) was reborn as wallpaper! The most beautiful, whimsical, fantastical wallpaper ever to be created.

Originally the scarf for Princess Grace was printed using a special technique similar to silk screening where 40 separate colors could be printed on the silk and not bleed. Now a standard practice today, the wallpaper was printed in a similar fashion with 16 different screens at Cole & Son’s north London factory. Let’s hope this makes it into production!!

You may recognize my other favorite Cole & Son wallpapers

Image via Charlie and Caroline’s Blog.

*Historical information from The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed

Shark brand Sriracha

I get why people are fascinated with Sriracha sauce, I love it too! On or in almost anything it can be the perfect condiment. The list of applications is endless and that’s precisely why it has captured everyone’s fancy stateside. It really is wonderful stuff, but the stuff that most people love is the wrong one.

Rooster brand Sriracha is made in Rosemeade, California and contains preservatives (sodium bisulfite) that I can taste and leave me with MSG-ish sensations in my mouth. I don’t touch the stuff. I want the real thing, I want the Sriracha that’s actually made in Thailand (named after the port town of Sri Racha.)

Shark brand Sriracha is the perfect balance of heat, salt, sweet, and vinegary tang. The label even shows you the percentage of each ingredient, and there are only six: chili, water, sugar, garlic, salt, vinegar. It’s lighter and less assaulting than the Rooster and is more of an accompaniment (as it should be) and less of a bomb of willy-nilly heat and vinegar (and sodium bisulfite).

Next time you find yourself out of your go-to Asian condiment try a different brand…any brand…just not that one again.

To find it head to your nearest Asian grocery store or check it out here.

One of my very favorite touches in my apartment are my antique glass doorknobs. Why did we ever move away from these? When even opening a door can be made more charming and special, why?!

My little rant on cheap, mass-produced door knobs aside I had no idea there were other options available for antique glass…like amethyst! (Apparently most everything before 1913 was sun-colored amethyst and after the 1930′s the color and style had changed and were machine-made.) This guy here is for sale on Etsy. Gorgeous!

Vintage Victorian Amethyst glass door knob – Etsy seller ThirdShift

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I’m excited about this one!

 Gucci Cracked-leather and suede sandals $850 / Metallic leather and suede sandals$850

I love the simple elegance of these. Very 40′s esque. (Check out those shiny heels!)

Jimmy Choo Bunting metallic leather sandals $895

I haven’t had a pair of Jimmy Choo’s on my mind in a long time. Glad to have him back. I love the idea of this cagey look with an LBD and pearls.

Yves Saint Laurent Cardinal metallic-paneled suede pumps $1695

I never would have guessed that I’d have liked these YSL’s but there’s something so bold and timeless about them. I’m thinking paired with skinny cigarette pants and some gold armswag.

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Marni Leather-trimmed watersnake sandals $1045 / Marc by Marc Jacobs Suede and leather sandals $350

I’ll always be a sucker for a T-strap pump or a chunky platform sandal.

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Miu Miu Glitter-finish suede wedge sandals $750

These are great fun and despite the glitter the cork wedge makes these guys much more casual.

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Christian Loubotin Corpus 100 leather and chain pumps $1495

I’m beyond over Louboutin’s but these shoes seem to be both classic and forward at the same time.

There’s plenty more to check out too, lots of sandals and flats that would work for summer. Hope you find something good!