a good while back i was given an award and tagged by two of my favorite bloggers. i've been embarrassingly tardy in responding, but as the title of this blog post says, better late than never, right?
i was thrilled to be given a
premio dardos award by the lovely
lisa of anali's first amendment. the award recognizes "cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing." considering that
lisa herself is a fantastic writer herself, i was beyond flattered and honored to be one of the lucky recipients of this award. thank you,
lisa!
and the gorgeous
nadia of
la porte rouge tagged me to answer some questions about myself. i was feeling a bit shy about it at first, but then i thought, why not? so here it goes...
taking classes; my neato
water bottle; peonies; singing; sake; linens; scarves
what is your weirdest obsession?devouring the edges of cookies (i think that's where the most flavour resides).
do you collect anything?i have unintentionally amassed a collection of tea towels.
what are you wearing today?a silk skirt i bought in buenos aires, black t-shirt, grey denim jacket, and black ballet flats.
what's for dinner?i was planning on cooking some beautiful oyster mushrooms that i got at the farmer's market, but ended up munching on some yummy spring rolls from a local thai restaurant.
what would you eat for your last meal?ohhh, this is a hard one. maybe a flavorful bouillabaisse paired with a glass of sake. for dessert, something decadent (this is a last meal, after all). maybe a homemade warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and a strawberry sauce.
what was the last thing you bought?an air tight container to store my calligraphy ink (not very interesting unfortunately)
what are you listening to right now?tango music
what is your favorite ice cream flavor?it's a tie between strawberry or honey and lavender.
what do you think of the person who tagged you?i adore nadia! she inspires me endlessly with her sensitive eye for beauty, her grace, and her generous nature. i learn so much from her.
if you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?hmmm, this is a toughie. for a very long time, i thought paris held the key to my heart since it encompasses so many interests of mine. but i try to keep an open-mind. i'll be happy if the location is cosmopolitan; within easy access to nature (either the beach or a forest); and is full of open-minded, friendly people. i could list of bunch of other qualities, but ultimately, i need to feel comfortable and inspired there.
if you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?buenos aires. i've been thinking about that city a lot these days.
which language do you want to learn?french and japanese.
what's your favorite quote?too many to choose from, but this is a good one:
You are the only person who can forgive yourself. Once that forgiving has taken place, you can then console yourself with the knowledge that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure... The pressure can make you something quite precious, quite wonderful, quite beautiful and extremely hard. - Maya Angelou
who do you want to meet right now?my grandmother. i miss her all the time.
what sounds do you enjoy?raindrops on windows, waves crashing, bandoneon, (like amelie) the sound of the top of creme brulee cracking
what is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?my grandmother's black wool coat with red lining and 3/4 sleeves. it can be worn with a dress and heels or jeans and boots.
what is your dream job?a photographer and writer with a focus on travel, food, and interiors
what's your favourite magazine?marie claire maison (italian);
skona hem;
gourmet traveller;
donna hayif you had £100 now, what would you spend it on?i'd probably save it, but if it must be spent, it would go towards another class or a better tripod.
favorite designer?again too many to choose, but here's a start:
frank vasser,
vera wang,
phoebe philo,
stacy pancake,
orla kielydo you admire any one's style?audrey tatou, charlotte gainsbourg, thandie newton, cate blanchett
describe your personal style?i can only hope my style conveys these qualities: part feminine, part tomboy, smart, playful, and witty
what are you going to do after this?pack my gym bag for tomorrow's workout
what are your favourite movies?the apartment; in the mood for love; when harry met sally...; funny face; before sunrise; witness for the prosecution; galaxy quest; cinema paradiso; spirited away; defending your life; three colors trilogy; enchanted april
what's your favourite fruit?figs, strawberries, cherries, mangoes
what inspires you?the beach, flowers, movies, stories
what music do you like this week?the
chess soundtrack
i'm quite shy about tagging other people, so if you feel like tackling these questions, consider youself tagged! here are the rules:
1. Respond and rework; answer the question on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention, add more one question of your own.
2. Tag eight other people.
a big thank you and hugs to
lisa and
nadia!
images by me
images from the up official website
martin löf's site says that "it's all about storytelling." well, his photos are telling me that i need a vacation. i love how he's able to capture the pace about these locations. his photos of cottages speak of a life that is comfortable, relaxed, and filled with an appreciation of the simple pleasures in life.
i'm impressed by how much he's able to convey in his food photos - colors, textures, aromas, sounds.
the onion below is so sharply rendered, i can practically hear the sound the knife made as it sliced through the layers.
this is one of my favorite photos of a secret water spring. you can practically hear the water trickling into the bottle.
view more of martin's incredible photos here.
i can't tell you how much fun i had on this shoot! during the whole day - from setting up the equipment and props to cooking to shooting to clean up - we just chatted and laughed away like old friends.
our "stars" of the shoot were strawberries and chocolate wafers; fried plantains; cherries; cassis a l'eau; ice cream sandwiches; and (my favorite) baked peaches soaked in amaretto with vanilla ice cream and crumbled almond cookies.
i had such a good time, i'm totally looking forward to my next collaboration with jenny. in addition to being a total blast to hang out with, she is so generous with her knowledge, patiently explaining the purpose of her photography equipment. she even let me use some of her lighting equipment, which i was totally geeking out about. you can view more of jenny's work on her website here.
whenever i dine out, one of my favorite places to sit is the counter where i can catch a glimpse at the talents who create the restaurant's yummy dishes. maren caruso's photos of restaurants and their kitchens make me feel like i'm getting a backstage pass into the inner workings of these famed restaurants.
i love the way maren captures the details that give these restaurants so much character.
and i couldn't resist posting some of her chocolate photos. don't you love how the flecks on the container below mimic the mouse's texture and the flecks of cocoa?
this photo is all about texture, both on the truffles and on the material the truffles are resting on.
take a look at her portfolio for more photographic treats (especially her cheese portfolio. they're too pretty!).
not only are edwina's bags totally stylish, but their use of recycled materials mean that they're making use of existing textiles that might otherwise have just been discarded and wasted. below are a small sample of the fabrics that have been reinspired and repurposed by miss edwina.
be on the lookout for edwina's etsy store, opening soon, so you can grab a one-of-a-kind creation for yourself or a friend (i've given one of her purse caddies as gift, and the recipient loved it.). edwina also takes custom orders, either with her existing, in-stock fabric or with your own fabric. for more information on edwina's creations, visit her website.
all images by me
you don't need to know much about wine to be moved by this movie. my knowledge of wine is practically non-existent, but i thoroughly enjoyed this true story of the little napa valley winery that could. and who doesn't love a good underdog story?
images from bottle shock official website
karen shinto's food styling is so well-composed. the balance of shapes, colors, and textures draw you right in. the photo above reminds me of those gorgeous dutch still life paintings of fruit.
call me crazy, but the sight of the ice cream bowls above brings to mind the notes on a musical scale. can you see it?
the color play in her photos are so darn pretty. i like how the color in the food and the props play so nicely together.
all photos by annabelle breakey found on karen shinto's site
i'm captivated by the way paul barbera captures the surface pattern and textures in these spaces. there's a crispness and yet softness to them that's so alluring, i want to reach out and touch them.
i had the hardest time choosing which photos to include in this post; they're all so lovely. the punches of color give the photos below a vibrancy that i simply cannot resist (i'm such a sucker for pink).
images from paul barbera
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