Woof. This is perhaps one of the coolest hotels I've had the good fortune to stay at. In the heart of downtown Portland, the Ace Hotel is funky and fun with style to spare. All the rooms have their own quirky decor and this playful pooch adorned my quarters. I can highly recommend a stay here.
Hilarious retro book titles
I admittedly have a fascination with most things considered retro. The ideal timeframe stretches from the 1920's till the mid-60's. A lover of the 70's I am not. I still have nightmares about the hideous tri-tone shag carpet in our family room which is precisely why this book caught my attention: Interior Desecrations, Hideous Homes from the Horrible 70's.
The other title is The Gallery of Regrettable Food which takes a look at some of the more, um, creative recipes from days gone by. Chapters entitled "Glop in a Pot!" and "Horrors from the Briny Deep" are simply too intriguing to ignore.
Both books are by James Lileks and if you want more of him, head over to his website where you'll find a comprehensive gathering of his creative endeavours.
Give Paso Robles wines a try
Everyone knows about Napa and Sonoma, but being a relatively unschooled wine drinker I'd never heard much about their southern cousin, Paso Robles. This region has some outstanding wineries and here are a few we discovered. Um, yes the bottles are all empty. As much as I'd like to say it's because the sunlight streaming through the bottles makes for a better photograph, the truth is we drank them. My two favorites were the Edward Sellers Cuvee Des Cinq (tastes like a Rhone wine you get in Lyon, France—which is a good thing) and the Pianetta Sangiovese.
Half Moon Bay fish fetish
Should you find yourself in Half Moon Bay, California you owe it to your stomach to stop by Barbara's Fish Trap and Seafood Parlor. We opted for the walk-up window as there's almost always a wait for a table. Above is the shrimp sandwich that is encased in a piece of melty swiss cheese. I know it looks kinda disgusting, but 'tis delicious.
I adore doors
I have a thing for doors and tend to photograph them if I have a camera handy. These two particular examples were captured in Budapest, Hungary. Aren't they gorgeous? Such care and detail. Sigh.
Cupcake photo with my new lens
I got to indulge in my favorite part of my "day job" this morning. Eating—I mean styling and photographing food. I admit I did taste test these cupcakes to make sure they were up to the magazine's standards first. Did I mention I love to bake? Not cook, but bake—let's be clear.
Anyway, I was thrilled with my new camera lens (50mm Nikor) that my sweetie gave me for Christmas. Post a comment if you'd like me to send the recipe.
Delightful Gate in Prague
Like nearly everything in Prague, the gate beautiful. Even simple things that are merely functional in most places, will be designed with care and astounding detail in this city.
After admiring the gate we had to see where the corridor led and we were glad we did. Many of the shops in Wenceslas Square sell cheap trinkets and blast bad music as you weave your way past American fast food chains. Not very appealing at all.
However, at the end of the alleyway was a wonderful shop selling traditional Czech egg ornaments. This one in the photo was a giant replica sitting in the courtyard.
I wanted to bring home so many, but alas we only had backpacks and no room for souvenirs.
