Exciting News: One Month To Go…

How exciting is this?

One month today and I am getting married to someone I have been with for almost seven years!!!

I can’t believe the “big day” is almost here.  It feels like we have been planning this wedding for months and months.  It is kind of scary and I wonder whether all the planning will come together in the end?  I am curious to see what all the details will look like set up in the venue and whether the vision in my head can be translated into reality….

I will be sharing more wedding details over the next couple weeks, so be sure to come back soon.

Any advice for the bride to be?  Leave me a comment 🙂

If you want more wedding ideas, or a sneak peak into the wedding aesthetic in my head….I’ve been pinning up a storm on Pinterest here, here and here.

Even Monsters Have Stylish Supplies

Even monsters need their supplies too!

How sweet is the theme of this London based supplies/general store?  It’s been around since the 1800s and every inch of store’s consumer touch points (web + product) reflects the monster theme.

Hoxton Street Monster Supplies offers a variety of everyday home goods and edible sweets tweaked and branded for your average monster, ghost or ghoul.  I love it!  I want to buy jam that says “Old fashioned brain jam.”  Next time I am in London, I am totally visiting this place!

Fridge watch day 5: The fridge has been confirmed dead.  A new one is being ordered.  It is not healthy to live without a fridge.  That is what I have learned from this experience.

Photo Source 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Hotel Miramonte

I am in between lecturing terms and just returned from a lovely, long ski-weekend in Bad Gastein, Austria (the Austrian Alps). One of the highlights was undoubtedly our boutique hotel:  Hotel Miramonte.

I discovered this hotel while reading the White Line Hotels website and after this experience, I can confidently say, I trust this site’s recommendations and would be open to trying another one of their recommendations when planning my next trip.  Hotel Miramonte embodied everything I like about design inspired travel: A large selection of international magazines and design books in their lounge and library, a mix of contemporary and vintage furniture- all ski chic, a killer soundtrack that changed throughout the day, and revolving art on the walls.  It was a true lifestyle hotel and I made the most of my time there as a non-skier!  The two floor sun decks, yoga classes and spa were wonderful for unwinding.

The service and food was also impeccable from morning until night, the staff could not do enough for you.  The breakfasts were delicious with lots of muesli, oatmeal, fresh, dried and stewed fruits (compote), breads, cakes, cheeses, vegetables and hard boiled eggs.  My other favourite thing about this hotel was their large samovar and vast selection of loose leaf teas ready to brew in large and small tea pots.  Since it was one of the last ski weekends in the season, the hotel was fairly quiet and did not feel too busy.  To get to this city, I drove from Prague via Munich and Salzburg to Bad Gastein.  The entire trip took about five hours but on the way back we made a three hour stop in Munich which extended the travel time considerably.

We are already planning our return to this spot next year! Has anyone ventured out this way to ski?

Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (my own)

Agneta Livijn

Depending on where you live, travel or shop, you may be familiar with the name Agneta Livijn.  However, it is likely you may own one (or many) of her pieces and not even know it belonged to Agneta Livijn’s as her work is unidentifiable by logo.  What is identifiable, is the product line’s fun stripes (Pisa cups below), hand painted text and bold colours across cups, mugs, saucers, bowls, and dishes all made in stoneware.

The (nearly) 20 year old brand from Stockholm was launched by artist and designer, Agneta Livijn.  Today, the company produces pieces under its own brand and for other retailers which appropriately reflect the tag line of the company, “Get Hip, Get Handmade.”

Picture Source 1, 2, 3

I just love her mugs.  They look so sturdy and solid and would look terrific on a table for brunch.

Picture Source Remodelista

In terms of work for other brands, she has collaborated with R.O.O.M (Stockholm), Marks & Spencer, Habitat (UK), Bakery & Spice (Stockholm), IKEA and the Story Hotel (Stockholm) to name a few. I look forward to tracking down a couple pieces myself next time I am in Germany or eventually get to Sweden.

Modern Grocery Stores

What makes a grocery store a cool place to shop? Rephrased in another way, what are the components that need to be present in a retail store that would make me want to come back again and again to do my food shopping, a task that is repetitive, monotonous and sometimes outright annoying?

I was pondering these questions earlier this week when I noticed that the grocery store down the street changed (upgraded) the refrigeration units that hold the store’s meats.  It appears that the store installed a modern glass refrigeration section to enhances the look and experience of shopping for the rather unexcited and dull packaged (sometimes mystery) meat.

I wish more food retailers would ask and execute on the same questions to make food shopping a more pleasurable experience.  As a customer, you may be focused on your shopping list and grocery mission but it does not mean you can’t also enjoy the experience at the same time.  These two things are not mutually exclusive.

There is nothing I like more when I travel than to visit grocery and specialty stores and see how food is merchandised and sold in different cities around the world.  There is something special about discovering (and shopping in) a grocery store that has clearly worked with an interior designer or an architect to plan, design and execute its food retailing concept.  My favourite concept which I am sure will continue to evolve is the restaurant, market, retail store concept-

Here are some of my favourite modern grocery stores around the world.  Where do you like to shop?  What stands out for you in a store?  Any interesting food retailing concepts you would recommend?

Three Sixty (Hong Kong)- The Whole Foods of Hong Kong.  It offers lots of organic products spread out over two floors, spacious aisles, natural light and soft interiors. I enjoyed shopping there when I was living in Hong Kong.

Photo Source: 1, 2

Pimlico (Paris) Organic epicerie, local, specialty food shop.  Love the white walls with exposed bricks.

Photo Source: 1

Mpreis (South Tyrol, Austria) Super trendy, industrial, spacious, modern store which I hope to visit in two weeks when I go skiing in Austria.

Photo Source: 1, 2

 Unpackaged (London) You bring the bags, containers and cartons.  It reminds me of a hipper farmer’s market meets, Bulk Barn (a bulk food store in Toronto).

Photo Source: 1, 2, 3

Kochhaus (Berlin) A gourmet chef’s delight.

Photo Source: 1, 2, 3

Dad Dines @ Yardbird Miami

My dad has been down in Miami for a couple months testing out the new snowbird lifestyle in his attempt to wear shorts (or no winter jacket) for most of the year.  Since he has been down there, he has had the opportunity to sample food from Miami’s eclectic food scene and dine at some pretty interesting places.

My father, a fellow foodie (I know where half my passion for food comes from, the other half is my mother) boasts that Miami, is a diverse place.  It has a very international feel as people from all over the world come to live, vacation, work and play.  The dining scene is now a reflection of the energy and the people.  I am not in Miami but I trust my dad’s opinion when it comes to food, so I will be profiling some of his picks over the next couple of weeks.  If you are headed to Miami, at least you’ll have a couple ideas of where to dine.

Yardbird Southern Table & Bar is a restaurant and bar with a focus on southern food. The food is served in smaller portions so you can sample several items (as per my dad’s recommendations below) and the decor is farmhouse chic.  The interior is really stunning filled with lots of interesting items hanging on the walls, high ceilings, and exposed brick.  Chef Jeff McInnis has done a fabulous job with this place.

My dad personally recommends Yardbird’s fried chicken (their specialty), shrimp and grits, homemade biscuits with honey butter and jam and blueberry pie.