I'm reading Front Row right now and was reminded of this scene from DWP:

"this..stuff? ....it's not turquoise, it's not lapis, it's actually cerulean.... that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and so it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of stuff....."

And while it seems to be the type of book that should make you find the divine Ms. Wintour unlovable, I jumped online and subscribed to Vogue before even finishing the first chapter. You've got to admire a girl whose fashion sense was developed so early in her childhood.

Now, about that sweater you're wearing...

I love this house. It was featured in this month's InStyle magazine and is presently occupied by Josh Groban. I'd like to kick him out so that I can make some modifications to it and move right in. My hope is that he overlooks the Pacific.

His mom, as luck would have it, is an interior designer. So the inside has that 'only achievable on the west coast' sense of casual elegance. I absolutely love this house. If you're his neighbor, or can reach him via six degrees of separation - let's gently encourage him that it's time to move to another bachelor pad. His current house belongs to me.

In my family, we always talk to our uncle Kevin to ask specifically what room to book, where to dine, what the amenities were like and how plush the bedding was when we're about to embark on a journey at a specific location. But not everyone has a Kevin in their life. And even if they do, it is an impossibility that he's been everywhere and noticed the most minute details of every journey (actually, in our case, there's a good chance he's been here and documented it in his travel journal).

So what's an adventurer to do when, say, heading to Portofino and looking for a room with the most spectacular view of the bay? Or wondering which top rated hotel is vastly overrated - and why? I've been using Extravigator for these answers, and I cannot say enough great things about the community.

Unlike sites like TripAdvisor, where anyone can join and contribute, Extravigator would like to keep the group small and intimate. If your idea of getting away for the weekend involves a stay at the Comfort Inn, I'll frankly tell you that this is not the site for you. But rather than being haughty and self possessed, the group of travelers who are members of the Extravigator community take world travel seriously. The group, as a whole, enjoys sharing the tiniest of details about a particular trip or location - all in the hopes that it enhances your own life experience.

I have had no shortage of fun participating in conversations as varied as where to dine on Sunday evening in Barcelona (your options are limited) to what hotel boasts the best toiletries (Bacara in Santa Barbara offers Fresh products... Singita Boulders Lodge in South Africa had toiletries from Dermalogica) or whether or not Glamping is an emerging trend I'm willing to try (not my cup of tea - unless necessary for the purposes of an African safari).

And rather than a laundry list of "drive by comments" where members offer vague feedback such as "great hotel!" - this group gets into the details. In fact, if someone does drop an unqualified complaint about a hotel or travel experience but offers no details to back it up, other members follow up by asking why. This group self regulates and asks that if you are going to share, you actually share. So while it may seem offputting that membership is free but limited, the result is a level of interaction and insider information I have yet to see duplicated on another site.

Since you all can't sit around and dish about your experiences in New York and New Delhi with my uncle Kevin, you really ought to explore Extravigator. This really is a group of experienced travelers who appreciate elegant travel, superb spa experiences and excellent cuisine - and aren't afraid to share it. Seriously, I can't say enough great things about my experience on the site. I look forward to seeing you online!

I agree with the belief that you should do something every day that scares you. Make that call you've been intimidated to make. Ask for what you really want. Try something new. Be more honest than you're normally comfortable with. Say no. I think these are all wonderful things to do in order to grow and prosper.

Having said that..I am certain our founding fathers and generations of trailblazers since would be shocked to learn that my brave, bold thing today was to willingly purchase a pair of flats. This is anathema to my entire previous track record of fashion purchases. Witness the awesomeness that is the Dolce Vita Cyprus 3 sandal.

It goes nicely with this, no? Now, go boldly and brave your own fears today.

I fell in love with two new things this weekend. In fact,I'm dredging the bottom of the internet in search of any two pieces of these collections on sale. Sweet perfection.

The first is Kate & Kass. I ordered a dress from Revolve last week and am blown away by the flattering lines and elegant ease. It's got that perfect flowiness where you can wear it with flip flops or gladiator sandals... you know that balance I mean? Flawless.

Next up: Tory Burch's sandals. How had I missed these? She's really rocking it out this summer in terms of safari-meets-gladiator. I'm on the hunt for a pair on sale. Somewhere. Anywhere.

Thank heaven for Google ;) 

I'm enjoying a few new discoveries I had to share. New to me, that is. Songza. Are any of you using this? It's a web-based catalog of music. Imagine an online jukebox with every song imaginable... and you're given an unlimited supply of quarters. Type in a song or a band or an album and it it finds it. You can play it. Share it. Add it to your playlist. Buy it. It ties into Amazon, but I use iTunes for my purchases. Even better... you can subscribe to someone else's playlist. Subscribe to mine here.

If you're on as well, I'd love to hear your feeds.

And normally I'd keep this to myself, but I just can't contain my enthusiasm for my new skincare line. I've used everything (and I do mean everything) from La Mer to L'oreal. I've shopped at Saks, I've shopped at Target. I've tried everything imaginable. And while my previous love was good old Dr. Perricone, it lacked good texture, good scent and long-lasting results. I also encountered great inconsistencies with product quality due to its organic nature.

But I cannot begin to tell you how ridiculously good my skin looks using the Bliss Labs collection Youth as We Know It. Insanely good results - and it's a tiny line. With Perricone (and Clarins and countless others) I always felt like there were too many products to buy. With Youth, the collection in its entirety is only five items. Five. I use the face wash, the serum, the moisturizer, the eye cream and Sleeping Peel (which isn't a part of the line, but should be paired with it).

Ladies and gentlemen... my skin looks (dare i say it) fierce. And considering that I have a newborn at home and am getting by on far less sleep than normal, I'd say I'm putting any skincare line to its test. Fittigly, my skin looks and feels as smooth as a baby's skin. If you're in the market...

It began innocently enough. An InStyle here, an Elle Decor there. But I'm finding myself swimming in magazines. And while I adore them (especially the scented glossy ones ;) I am not above rethinking my strategy. Especially since I'm convinced they keep tricking me with those "time to renew!" messages seemingly monthly.

I've pared down the list recently, but here is what we still receive:

• Travel & Liesure
• InStyle
• W
• Lucky
• Domino
• Elle Decor
• Oxygen (a Canadian fitness magazine)
• Allure (or is it Glamour? I can never tell...)
• Budget Travel
• The Robb Report
• Architectural Digest
• Fast Company

In the past, I have subscribed to Dwell, Met Home, Muscle & Fitness Hers, Shape and others) It's a well rounded list. I know many of you receive far more than this on any given month. And I have no intention of "reupping" my Budget Travel subscription. We recently canceled the Wall Street Journal - not for it's content, but because of its design. Honestly, if it came in magazine form I'd eat it alive. I love the WSJ, but the scale and composition of a newspaper (not to mention the smudgy black ink) make it less preferable to magazines. 

It is possible I've missed a few mentions in my list - it can simply be too much to get through and really 'absorb'. I see some of you (you know who you are) who appear to devour the issues. Tearing each and every one from limb to limb. Discussing the most minute of designer details. I stand in awe of you.

You see, I'm a skimmer. I need it in bite sized form and I need to it be instantly arresting. I need my content fast. Elle Decor is my favorite amidst the interior design magazines. If I had to cancel all other design mags, I'd keep this one. And InStyle is (in my opinion) unparalleled by other fashion/beauty mags (although I do feel Lucky is an amazing publication). T&L certainly tops the list of travel mags - in terms of mags I've become familiar with.

I'm also a very "mobile" girl. If I can't read it on the treadmill (or skim to get my info) I'm not likely to read it at all (hence the cancellation of the WSJ). But I find I have less and less time to spend with each magazine each month (we run a few businesses - not to mention our new little addition to the family). So I'm considering (insert audible gasp here) canceling a few more subscriptions.

Here are the criteria. I like my magazines to be:

• glamorous (Domino can almost be a bit 'down home' for me... it leans toward the too casual regularly. Budget Travel started to bore me)
• packed full of fabulous images
• engaging (great content, great LOOKING content, great writers... just fabulous)
• an escape (I'm not looking for "how-to's" in my interior design magazines. Trust me, I'll pay to have a pro do it. I'm looking to educate myself, to expand my horizons and to discover new talent/ideas/products)

So my questions for my fellow blogger experts are:

• how on earth do some of you plow through so many each month?
• how many are you really reading?
• what are your 'musts' on the subscription lists?
• what recommendations do you have for me? (am I missing something grand?)
• what do you subscribe to?
• would you cancel any of yours?

If ever there was a CD that served as a soundtrack to my life - this is the one for today. Café de Flore. Why, oh why can I not buy it on iTunes?

It reminds me of Cafe del Mar, Hotel Costes and the like. All of which I find fabulous.

Our little bundle of joy decided to crash the party early, everyone! But I'm happy to say we are all terrific.  Hope to catch up with each of you soon, once we get used to our new sleep schedule!

We've decided to learn another language together. Spanish makes the most logical sense, as I've had four years of classes in the past. But it isn't nearly as interesting to me as Italian. If pressed to choose another country to live in, Italy would be at the top of the list. Therefore, getting that pesky language barrier out of the way is a nice goal. Practical? No. Life enhancing? Yes. And who am I kidding... I'd love to be able to speak privately to my husband in Italian... not to mention, be able to more easily converse with the locals when we travel.

I would easily spout out helpful phrases such as "Questo viene nel mio formato?" (does this come in my size?), "Quando ha luogo andare seguente del traghetto per Capri?" (When is the next ferry leaving for Capri?) and "Quali pesci suggerite oggi?" (which fish would you recommend today?) without hesitation. Ahh, the good life.

Have any of you taken up another language in your adult life? Any input?

The good news is that my power cord issue is resolved! Bad news is I'm out with a fever. Boo! So give me just a few days to get back on my feet. (Thank goodness for TiVo and my beloved Bravo network.) I miss you all! I'll be back soon!

If you've read for any length of time, you know I don't like imaginary (or real) boundaries, silly rules or small mindedness. I actually do believe all things are possible. So when I saw this post on Beach Bungalow 8, I knew I had to share the love. These bold-faced words are letter pressed by hand on antique maps by (trailblazing) Doug Wilson. Simple, yet fabulous. So go now and make your own path.

I've long been impressed with the Sugar empire. PopSugar, CasaSugar, FitSugar... you name it. Each of the communities is a star in its own right. But now they're offering a new realm for us interactive babes... SavvySugar. While it's too early to tell, it sounds as though this just might be the blog a capitalist like myself will enjoy. Here's how the team describes the new blog:

"Bringing you everything from career advice to practical finance tips and guides, this is the place for all of your money and professional matters. Whether you started saving for your first home or retirement with lemonade stand money, or you've been avoiding the word "savings" altogether, SavvySugar will guide you through the ins and outs of personal finance."

Proving, once again, that sexiness and smarts don't have to be mutually exclusive, SavvySugar could quite possibly offer me that unusual mix of strategy and style. I like it.

And I neglected to mention... they're giving away a MacBook each week for the first four weeks of the launch. Those girls really know how to dole out party favors, don't they?

I do have one critique, however...and this is quite major for an aesthete like myself: that hideous pig icon they've chosen to go with. Wow. Looks like the creative geniuses in the art department let that one slip out the door without enough examination. I can think of a half dozen icons off the top of my head that would have worked. The pink sow (even if it is a piggy bank) just isn't fabulous enough. But I do have high hopes that insightful content will more than make up for the design oversight.

I ran across a quote today that summed up my entire philosophy on life:

"I am always doing things I can't do, that's how I get to do them."-- Picasso.

That's pretty much my life motto. Much to the shock of those who know me best, I always have a half dozen new things going. I'm not a one thing at a time type of girl. It's lots of things all at once. And there are at least a few things in the mix I've never attempted to do, nor do I have training for. But that's never stopped me before. And you'd be surprised at how many of those things you can actually succeed at once you've tried them.

It's nice to know Picasso may have felt the same way. You never know if something will work until you try it. So if there's something you've been thinking of doing, trying, tasting, seeing or experiencing... it's time. It's time to stop thinking about it and just start doing it. Live boldly.

This is an ode to all my lovely fellow bloggers out there. I see each of you celebrating in your own special way, and it seemed time to shine a little light on the lovely ladies of style out there.

Let's start with Patricia. She's planning her fabulous virtual Christmas Eve outfit. I love the uninhibited use of red. And she's so right.. how often can you don a red frock? And she tops it off with Manolos. First class all the way, baby! She's even chosen the fragrance du jour to enhance her festive mood. Lovely.

No celebration is complete without stylish help from Jennifer of Hostess with the Mostess. If anyone can elevate the chic-factor at a soiree, it's her. This year she offers an idea for creating a white Christmas, even if you're in sunny Palm Springs. Be sure to get the low down on this high glam idea for the holidays.

Brilliant Asylum (the name says it all, doesn't it?) showcases a clever way to display all of those holiday cards that arrive in the mail. (Pink has never looked so festive!)

Belle Vivir conjures up another fabulous take on holiday fashion. With pieces from Anthropologie and BCBG she manages to pull off a look that's a walking celebration of style. Gorgeous.

Emily at Scoop has some inspired ideas when it comes to paper goods. And this time she isn't shy about the blatant Madonna reference (love it, baby!). How can you complain when the cards themselves inspire a little dancing?

If the holiday spirit hasn't hit you yet, you've obviously not seen Style Court's post entitled Frosted. Truly inspired, and guaranteed to add a little holiday cheer to your season.

And last, how about a little generosity, eh? That's right, Decorno hopes that those who love her (namely her fiance.) chip in for a little J. Crew fashion-love this season.  Hey, it never hurts to ask, right?

So if you're not in the celebratory mood yet, a tour of the posts above will surely add some glee to the rest of 2007. Have a festive week, everyone!

I could say much on the topic. But this commercial for J'adore Dior says is all.

This is the first installment of a new series of posts I'll simply be calling "Be." I've just emerged from a period of unreasonable workload, and my thoughts on  design, life, priorities, work and the general fabulousness of living have all gone through an incredible evolution as a reult. It is incredibly freeing to be awake again and seeing it all with fresh eyes.

My first post is about being true to yourself. A challenge of modern life is our tendency to become so busy, so caught up in trying to complete the tasks before us each day that we don't get the chance to stand up, look around and assess our lives. As I like to say: too busy working to do my job. Well I've had the pleasure of having such a moment (as I'm prone to do from time to time) and I decided to jump off the Titantic and take a helicopter to shore. I can assure you, the view is much better from up here and seat is far more comfortable ;)

It all had me reflecting on a (now old in terms of blogging) post written by Decorno in October. In I am no scrapbooker she pretty much lays it out there for all to see. The gist of it is this:

"But there are so many really, really good blogs about decor, I have no business trying to be one of them. I have no interest in creating some kind of encyclopedic catalog of magazine clippings of perfect decor. Don't get me wrong. I *love* the blogs that do. I need these blogs, in fact, when I want inspiration or information about my next decorating project...

Decorno is a bit limiting. I am never going to write about curtains. I, in fact, hate curtains. I am really interested in life and how we all think we can perfect it despite evidence to the contrary.

So, I am going to step out a bit and start writing about the rest of it. I have decided I don't care about traffic. Who wants traffic, anyway? I want readers."

Carrie: "Honey, if it hurts so much, why are we going shopping?"
Samantha: "I have a broken toe, not a broken spirit."
- Sex and the City

No, this isn't about Sex and the City... it's about perseverance. No matter what life throws at you, you must keep on shopping living and hold your head high. Be it a broken toe or just too much on your to-do list, you can tackle it. And you should do so without worrying what the world will think of you. After all, at the end of the day it was your life you were asked to lead and your experiences that cause your own satisfaction.

So in the spirit of Coco, I leave you with one more thought:

“How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something, but has to be someone." - Coco Chanel

Amen, sister! Catch you all very soon. I'm just wrapping up some projects before I can return to the blog more fully. In the meantime, stay stylish and make each day memorable.

I hadn't decided whether or not to announce this on the Venti Cup, but it seems fitting you should know I'll be buying some nursery furniture in the near future. Yes, for the time being, my little black dress will have more of an empire waist. As luck would have it, this moment in fashion is perfect for those who are expecting. Babydoll dresses, empire waistlines. It couldn't be easier.

And if you are looking for fabulous party invites, cards or notepads I highly recommend Bonnie's Style Press. Talk about inspiration. The site is the product of inspiration by founder Bonnie Marcus. During her pregnancy, Bonnie embarked on a new career. She launched a hip stationery company from her dining room table. Thanks to years in the fashion industry (working for icons such as Diane Von Furstenberg), Bonnie had the help of wildly talented illustrators who turned her dreams of hip paper goods into a reality with their unique illustrative style. All the Best featured a terrific interview with her in August of this year - which is how I originally found the brand. The perfect shower invites can be found there, amidst a bevy of other chic little paper goods. Just incredible.

So don't expect a change in my topics here. I have no intention of turning this into a mommy blog. It just seemed the time to share the news with my lovely blogger friends. And if you see a smashing empire waisted dress online, do send me a quick note!

Ciao, bellas!

Sometimes you just have to break the rules. Break out of your normal 'good behavior' routine. Sometimes life needs a little rebellion. And that's just what I did. We've been putting countless hours into projects, rehabbing our new office and generally keeping the gears well oiled in life. But Saturday morning I called my husband and declared that the rest of the day we were to do nothing responsible. At all. We wouldn't show up anywhere we were expected, we wouldn't return phone calls, we wouldn't clean up after ourselves. In fact, the whole day was to be reckless and carefree. It was just the tonic I needed.

I have to say, thanks to Jim's imagination we had a fabulous day that completely restored me. We shopped for luxury cars, spent way too much on fabulous steak for lunch, wasted time shopping for chick lit in my favorite bookstore with a Starbuck's nearby and popped in to one of our favorite overpriced establishments for their dreamy crab cakes among other fully carefree activities. Oh, and yes, there as some purse shopping involved somewhere between the Mercedes and the crab cakes. All in all it was a terrific day and one that broke the mold of the past few weeks.

I'd become so used to finishing things on time, showing up for every possible event, working out at 5:30 each morning and generally holding 'adulthood' on a pedestal that I'd forgotten to treat myself to a reprieve. If you're feeling a little too controlled right now, I highly recommend you take that SLK500 for a spin. Everything looks better through the windshield of a Mercedes. Trust me on this one ;) 

On Sunday, Clementine (of yesterday's bracelet fame) wrote a post titled If I were a shoe. Oddly, I've given this topic some thought in the past. The shoes that best represent me are not in my possession. It would be these perfect sandals by Derek Lam. This is me. This is who I am - if in a bizarre world a shoe had to walk around representing me. This pair is it. No questions asked.

4" stacked heel. Stappy. Gold hardware. These would look right at home in St. Tropez or summer in Spain. Fabulous. I could build an entire wardrobe around these shoes.

So I pose the question to you. If you were a shoe, what would you be?

Richele had a moment of introspection this week, and I am inspired to follow suit. Let's see where I am at this moment...

Right Now I'm thrilled:
about our new office, about fabulous fall weather (leaves are finally falling outside!), and about life. I'm in a great space these days.

Right Now I don't miss:
The past. I'm completely focused on the future and all it holds (except for past travels.. I cannot get them out of my head these days... which is wonderful).

Right Now I'm planning:
Our holiday trip someplace new...my next handbag acquisition (sorry, full disclosure...)...and how I'm going to install 90 Shangri La Wall Flats from Inhabit on our new office wall. Count them: 90. I'm still planning my attack.

Right Now I'm listening to:
A lot of classical music. I've been so busy and the sounds always draw me in to combat the feelings of stress. I love the sound of orchestral strings. A good cello gets me every time.

Right Now I'm looking forward to:
The weekend. We have a lots of activities planned and are seeing good friends we haven't seen in a while for dinner.

Right Now I'm wanting:
A specific bag I simply cannot locate and another glass of tea. An 8th day of the week would be lovely as well.

Interestingly, if I did this every day the answers would be completely different. Some days I'm thinking long term investment strategies, others art galleries and other days my loftiest thought is a new pair of shoes. Such is life. I remarked to Richele that this might make an interesting journal entry every day if you were keeping a diary. What an interesting way to see how you've changed from day to day, week to week.

The authentic post of the week award goes to Decorno. It's a post on great things that never go out of style and are always au currant. A must read - especially if you' have fond Gordon Gekko memories.

A sneak peek:

"With magazines like Real Simple preaching this impossible idea of having your sh*t together on all fronts, you're just left thinking you fail at about 12 things. So, I am official declaring working your a$$ of (professionally) as something that is right always, now, and forever. It's a very American thing to do, very Gordon Gekko, and you know what? That's ok. While other people are asleep at the wheel trying to find "balance," you and I will just get into the office early, work harder, and make more...all while wearing the fab-again gold Rolex and smiling knowing that at age 50, we get to stop, while someone else is trying to schedule their stupid relaxing Canyon Ranch zen colonic getaway between business trips."

“Success is often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable.” - Coco Chanel

In my life, I've had many icons. Lee Iococca (a man who belives that with vision and hard work, anything is possible), Sir Richard Branson (renegade extraordinaire and a many whose lust for life knows no bounds), Arnold Schwarzenegger (the ultimate 'if you can dream it, you can do it' master). After reading the morning's paper, I'm adding Vera Wang to my list.

The WSJ ran a multi-page story on her brand. Vera (mogul, mom, Manhattanite) has gone from seamstress to owner of an empire without so much as blinking. At the center of it all is her vision for her life, her brand and her customers. I like her description of the Vera Wang customer:

It is always the same woman. It is a woman who is quite confident and independent and also loves a bit of art, some unique detail, an element of surprise, even if it is a twist of a sleeve. One of the women I have always admired a lot is [Scottish model] Stella Tenant. She puts vintage together with new. She puts boyish with dress-up. She makes fashion her own.

But at the heart of each icon is a risk taker. Vera, like the others listed above understand that if you are not growing you are shrinking. We must continue to evolve as dreamers, designer and humans. I believe that your life will never surpass the vision you have for it, so you'd better have a big vision for your life. You can bet these icons have a grand vision of their future.

Side note: If you're seeking a little inspiration in your life, you must (must) read Branson's book Losing my Virginity.

Habitually Chic has me longing for my old friend Florence today. She featured J.K. Place, a luxury boutique hotel just steps form the Duomo in this marvelous Italian town. What's even more fabulous, is that this is her second choice in sweet destinations. She's holding back on us:

I have travel on the brain this week. I think it's because I wish I was going somewhere exotic for Labor Day weekend instead of Pennsylvania, which is where I am actually going. I was also originally going to tell you about another hotel in Florence but it's small and actually very reasonably priced and I don't want it too be all booked up before I make a reservation so I'll tell you about that one some other time.

I love it. We've all got secret hideaways too good to pass on to friends and family. Until, of course, we've enjoyed the private indulgence of being the first of our crew to spend a weekend in luxury. All the while reminding yourself that you'll be happy to tell them ALL about it when you get back to the States.

So for those of you tucked away in posh retreats this weekend, raise your mojito glass high and enjoy the spoils of your fabulous lifestyle. Then tell us all about it on Tuesday. ;)

You may know him better as Benjamin Moore, but we've familiarized ourselves enough this week for me to call him Ben. Yes, for reasons I can no longer remember, I decided to paint the interior of my home this week on my own.

A petite woman, a ladder, paint, and all the painting accessories a girl could ask for. I've been fielding professional painters for months, but ultimately decided it was easier (????) and more reasonable to do it myself. In truth, this had more to do with a woman's right to change her mind (and her paint color) repeatedly than the actual labor or costs involved. But I've learned my lesson. And one (yes one) poorly painted room later I've come up with a list of lessons I've learned this week.

1. It always pays to trust a professional. I trust them with my taxes, my investments, my nails, my hair and my health... why not my walls as well?
2. Just because one CAN does not mean one should.
3. Perfectionists are not perfect. (audible gasp) Yes. This was a tough pill for me to swallow. Repeatedly.
4. "One coat" paint isn't.
5. A $59 gallon can of paint doesn't necessarily apply any easier (or better) than a $20 gallon. (Just trust me on this one.)
6. Mastery of difficult yoga poses does, in fact, benefit you in ways never imagined.
7. No matter how steady your hand is, tape is always necessary.
8. Pay closer attention the next time your closest friends ask you if you're certain you know what you're getting yourself into. Sometimes they know you better than you care to admit.
9. No matter how cute may be, pets really have no business being around during projects such as this.
10. Resist the urge to look more closely at your work in bright daylight.
11. It's perfectly fine to discover that there is something you're not good at. It's even better to admit it and move on. 

The good news is, the painter we hire will still have an entire house to paint - including the one I just completed. I have newfound respect for those men and women in overalls who make it all seem so easy.  And the more I think about it. I really ought to refer to him as Mr. Moore. I've certainly gained a new respect for him as well.

Did anyone else feel that? We've just moved from trusty Blogger and have now become a TypePad blog. Voila!

You may run into a few kinks for a day or so (images are still coming and going). Feel free to drop me a note if you have any challenges or questions. Have a fabulous weekend!

I've been asked on occasion what Life in a Venti Cup is all about. The blog may be about style, but the phrase actually sums up my view on life. Life really is too short to think small. It goes way beyond seeing the glass half full. It's about living life with enthusiasm. Expecting more.  Conquering fears. Setting audacious goals and then making plans to pursue them. Starting companies. Seeing the world. Passion. Curiosity. Growth. Happiness. That's life in a venti cup.

On Instant Native, fashiongirl poses the question today:

"What have you done that conquered your fear?"

It's an interesting question, and one that hits me at just the right moment. I am currently enjoying two weeks of time away from work. This is planned time off that I using to expand my vision of life, reconnect with friends, assess my goals, plans and passions. Too often we accomplish great things and don't stop to acknowledge how far we've come. Gaining this kind of perspective helps us reinforce our experience and set new, bigger goals. Venti goals. And once in a while we should all take a moment to see if we're really living the life we set out to live. Are fears keeping you from living your own life to the fullest?

So ask yourself today: am I stuck in Grande (Starbuckian for "medium") or worse yet, Tall (Starbuckian for "small") way thinking? If so, it might be time to upgrade to a Venti way of life. After all, life really is too short to think small. And go ahead, add a little foam on top. After all, life should be sweet and full of flavour.

Have fun today.

J Lee of An Eye for an I:nterior has tagged me to share seven facts about myself that you otherwise might never know. How provacative. Let me begin...

Fact 1:
One of my pleasures is finding typos in the WallStreet Journal. Yes...the Journal has typos every day. For some reason I love finding them and pointing them out.

Fact #2:
I was married on the volcanic island of Santorini, Greece overlooking the caldera. Opa!

Fact #3:
I have a super power: I can negotiate better than anyone I know. Whether it's an appliance or an automobile, I look at the art of price negotiation as a sport. A sport at which I can honestly say I excel. Yes, I would be happy to assist you the next time you make a major purchase.

Fact #4:
In my mind, trespassing signs apply to everyone else - not to me. If we are in Rome and I see a 'do not enter' sign in front of a sublime courtyard filled with flowers and sculpture I will do whatever it takes to see the gorgeous garden just beyond my view. This behaviour is much to my husband's chagrin.

Fact 5:
Topping my list of "must experience" adventures are: cruising the Amalfi Coast in a convertible, exploring the Great Pyramids at Giza at dawn or sunset, haggling in the bazaar of Marrakesh, taking in Winged Victory at the Louvre uninterrupted. (I could go on at length - as there are many more experiences on the list - but those three come to mind on the 'must do' before I die list.)

Fact 6:
My first memory of being in an airplane: I was by myself and landed a front row seat. I was flying up to see my grandparents for the summer. I still recall how sweet the flight attendants were and the thrill of seeing the world from 30,000 feet. I still feel that same thrill in the air. A love of travel was born that day.

Fact 7:
I don't smoke or drink, but my love of handbags and shoes more than makes up for it in terms of vices.

So... I'll now toss the baton to: Shibooya, Richele of Richie Design, Fashion Girl of Instant Native, Maryam of My Marrakesh and of course Jakthong of JT in Paris. These lovely friends now have the opportunity to indulge their audience with unknown bits about themselves.