Life in a Venti Cup. Because life is too short to think small.

February 08, 2012

Closet Stalking

Because I (and I'm guessing you as well) can't resist an opportunity to peer into a fabulous closet, may I offer you a glimpse into the master closet of this $6.5MM University Park listing. The home itself is just under 9,000 square feet and is in one of my favorite parts of Dallas.

Yahoo describes the home (and mostly the closet) this way:

This house, built in 2007, almost looks like a converted warehouse from outside. Highlights include an underground garage, marble floors and fireplaces, and a geothermal HVAC system. The master bedroom has his and hers baths, along with this enormous closet with high ceilings. The closet has shelving for shoes and cowboy boots, as well as overhead storage for hats and out-of-season clothing.

I will say, Dallas homes have some of the best closets I've ever seen. We are willing to have smallish yards in order to accommodate our need for generous square footage inside the home and maximum storage space. For more fabulous real estate drool sessions, be sure to peruse one of my favorite sites, Mathews Nichols for some of the city's finer examples of luxury homes. This listing ought to get you started. Note the insanely pretty kitchen and dreamy back patio. This is what living in the South is all about.

Posted at 07:34 AM in celebrities, closet envy, fashion, luxury, photography, real estate | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

November 08, 2011

Add More Pinterest To Your Life

First, you should be on pinterest. Next you and I should be following one another. Otherwise, you're missing out on some really remarkable daily inspiration.

You see, facebook often shares too much about your acquaintances, strangers and friends. I need not know your political leanings or how angry this or that made you. Save it. Twitter, on the other hand, tells us how they live their daily lives, moment to moment. I actually do love the granularity and "real life" insight this medium offers.

But what I love about Pinterest is that it showcases what people dream of, what they love, who they aspire to be, what they aspire to do and more importantly how they see their best themselves. It's visual. It's brief. It's uplifting and it's almost entirely without negativity.

As of this writing, Pinterest offers me the very best of a person and their inner self. And for a visually dominant person like myself, it's the ultimate way to "see" what another person visualizes or wants to visualize. The photography based nature of the app makes it resonate with me in a way that no text-based social media app ever could. I love it.

So go. Pin. Enjoy. I hope you derive as much visual pleasure form it as I do. Happy pinning!

Featured pinterest images: via Vanessa Stern, via Dallas Shaw, via Tobi Fairley, via Dallas Shaw

Posted at 06:36 AM in beauty, culture, design, fabulousness, fashion, luxury, photography | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

August 03, 2011

Design Bibliophiles... Rejoice!

Fall is going to offer some terrific books for those of us who devour design books. Here are just a handful of the titles coming. See more at Architectural Digest.

Posted at 08:00 AM in architecture, Books, celebrities, culture, design, designers, furniture, interior design, observations, photography | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

July 25, 2011

Live Boldly

You know that wise question, "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" Try to live that way this month. Fearless, limitless, undaunted by doubt. Life is exceedingly short. If you don't rise up to star in your own life story, someone else will. Seize this life. It's yours.

The result? Happiness. Success. Satisfaction and an improved sense of self. There is no such thing as failure. There are only different paths to your own success. So go ahead... live a little.

Posted at 06:54 AM in life, observations, photography, the venti challenge | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

July 24, 2011

Weekend Bliss

May your days away from work be much like this.Bare feet, carefree style, vintage bike, resort pool... yes, happy summer everyone!

{image via Flying Bicycles over Hollywood}

Posted at 08:22 AM in celebrities, fabulousness, leisure, photography | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

July 22, 2011

My Happy Place: Roma!

It's been an interesting summer filled with twists and turns at every corner. Some pleasant, some not. When I need to focus my mind on positive things I go to my happy place. No, not the upholstered seating at my local Jimmy Choo boutique (although that's nice too). I go to Rome. Roma! My absolute favorite place.

Rome is a city as deeply connected to its past as it is the future. Modern citizens zip around with the latest fashions and smartphones on chic Vespas as they pass ancient ruins lining centuries old cobblestone streets. It is a feast for the senses and my Mecca, if you will.

As an art history addict and an avid photographer, this city offers more than can be consumed in a short period of time. Add to that, fast fashion, well heeled people from all over the globe and grand things (both old and new) around every corner, and you've created the ultimate destination for a girl like me. The Chanel boutique at the base of the Spanish Steps flanking the world famous Berninin fountain sums up why I love this great European destination: the best life has to offer, both old and new. With breathtaking views at every corner.

After our first time in Rome, we found ourselves to enchanted that we booked a return trip not quite 12 months later. That time we lingered in the region for several week, taking in all that Italy had to offer. Even after weeks in a rented Roman apartment, my thirst for the area was not quenched. I eagerly await our return to this great, majestic city.

Fortunately, Tablet hotels wants to award a winner (me, please!) a five night all expenses paid trip to my favorite city and will enjoy the lovely Hotel Capo d'Africa. The historic building was once a school. Now all they teach is the art of leisure and luxury. The rooftop terrace is not to be missed, offering panoramic views of The Colosseum and all that Roma has to offer. The attentive staff will have you forgetting your name and your place or origin. And true to the rest of the city's study in contrasts, accommodations are as modern as one could hope for despite the building's antiquated facade.

Seeking your own Roman Holiday? Enter to win.

Posted at 08:05 AM in architecture, contest, destinations, globetrotting, leisure, life, luxury, photography, things to do before I die, venti favorites | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

July 16, 2011

Lounge Well

May your weekend be as relaxing and glamorous as this iconic Brigitte Bardot photograph circa 1960. I highly suggest sexy sandals, oversized sunglasses, plenty of water and lots of purposeful unwinding.

{Image via Torypedia's July 15th Entry}

Posted at 07:34 AM in celebrities, leisure, photography | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

May 02, 2011

Sweet

Every girl needs a little treat on occasion. I'm already thinking up plans for my birthday in June. Chanel cupcakes, perhaps? While I wouldn't normally be drawn to black baked goods, these are so positively chic that I might just bed the rules. Photos are property of Sugar by Winz, found on Flickr. They did a fantastic job with the detailing on the camilla flower. Even in the closeup you can see the attention to detail and the level of craftsmanship. Impeccable! These next images are via Temeraire, also on Flickr. These lovingly crafted cupcakes are the work of Lorinda Seto of Cakes By Lorinda. See more of her incredible cupcakes in her gallery. You can almost feel the painstaking effort placed into creating each one. Just look at the quilting and seaming on the handbag. Perfection. Coco herself would approve!

Posted at 11:34 AM in cuisine, events, fabulousness, photography, things to do before I die | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

April 10, 2011

Show Me Your Dallas, Sandra Evans

As if sensing my need for a leisurely morning with a good friend, Sandra Evans stepped up the plate this Friday with my pitch perfect morning. For those of you just tuning in, I've been exploring Dallas through the eyes of locals. These are girls I've met over the years through blogging, twitter and facebook. In most cases, however, this is our first opportunity to meet in person. Since we relocated I've been building up my army of girlfriends one outing at a time. While the elevator pitch is to see the city and the sights, the real goal is and has always been to have a little fun shopping as only two girls can. For me it's the best way to bond and - if I'm really being honest - my favorite way to spend a day.

What began as an adventure quickly turned into a crazed schedule. I was even interviewed Wednesday by the Dallas Morning News for the endeavor. Seems I'm tapping into a common curiosity among those new to the area as well as those born and bred in the area. In just a few short weeks my days went from laid back to fully packed.

Sandra must have been reading my mind, as her only agenda for us on Friday was to stroll through my favorite shopping center, Highland Park Village. For those not in the know, this is a historic shopping center is a national landmark. Highland Park is Dallas's answer to Beverly Hills. Both were designed by architect Wilbur David Cook. The unique Mediterranean Spanish-style shopping center is a blissful mix of high-end & mid-range shopping with a laid-back vibe that only an outdoor shopping center can deliver. Sandwiched between Chanel and Hermès is a Tom Thumb grocery store and an independent movie theater. For all of the luxury (and there is plenty) the canopy of trees overhead and slow bustle of happy people milling about always has a calming effect on me.

We kicked it off at Starbucks where we spent no time jumping right into conversation about ... well, everything. Sandra is every bit as talented and stylish in person as you'd expect. Not only does she teach graphic design, she also co-owns Small Envelope with Cesar Aragón. They specialize in absolutely gorgeous invitations. She even brought along a sampling of the goods to show me. Incredible work, from a fiercely talented designer.

The more you chat with Sandra the more you realize what a rockstar you have in your midst. Between keeping professional photographer husband Mark happy and teaching her students the tools of the trade she is a panelist at Big Thought, a nonbprofit focused on giving children the opportunities they need in life. Like most of my friends, she's in constant motion, but somehow manages to carve out time for her girls - gotta love that.

But wait... on to the shopping! We didn't make it far on Friday. We spent way too long at Anthropologie noting a dress I'd seen on Tori Spelling this past week and ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the adorable gifts and books for kids. After plundering the sale racks like pros (and coming up empty handed, natch) we headed back out into the plaza for some quick shoe shopping. A quick dash into Tory Burch and a swing past Harry Winston and Hermès we'd already run out of time.

Sandra, next time we're hitting the other side of the plaza and scheduling time for lunch as well. See you soon, doll, and thank you for showing me your Dallas!

Posted at 11:54 AM in architecture, celebrities, dallas, design, graphic design, leisure, luxury, photography, shoes, shopping, show me your dallas | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)

October 29, 2010

Friday

It's Friday. A long and tumultuous week drops me off at the doorstep of the weekend. I'm relieved, excited and finally able to breathe. I'm wishing you a blissful weekend full of wondrous surprises.

{images by William Klein @ Jackson Fine Art}

Posted at 06:33 AM in leisure, photography | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 14, 2010

Stamp of Approval

Warning: you're going to want to make a purchase after you read this post. These sophisticated rubber stamps by Holly's Houses have a very Charlotte Moss vibe to them. Holly Anne Rolfe is the daughter of an architect and has been drawing images of homes for as long as she can recall. Holly studied illustration at London's Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design and shows no sign of stopping in her quest to express herself through pen and ink. If you've been looking for the perfect gift for someone special in your life, this is surely the source.

Imagine adding chic little thank you notes brandishing this stamp on aged parchment tethered to your gifts with tiny little bits of twine. It's an incredible finishing touch. It shows you care and you've planned ahead. The stamped image is indeed a little ink drawing of your home. Can you imagine how great this is as a gift? I can already think of at least to people n my life who need this.

But rather than just limit it to your own home, there's no reason it couldn't be the personalized image you use on your wedding invitations and correspondence. Imagine a little drawing of the church in which you'll say your vows. Or possibly the front door of your new home or the combo mailbox/flower bed of your summer retreat. Your little one's treehouse or maybe even an illustration of your new puppy's adorable dog house. Regardless, you need this. It's just too posh to let an idea this charming go unused. Learn more about Holly on her blog.

Posted at 07:33 AM in architecture, art, coolfinding, designers, glamorous gifts, graphic design, illustrations, photography, stationery, style, things to do before I die | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

May 01, 2010

Love Me Knot Mother's Day Giveaway

It's almost Mother's Day and this amazing giveaway can help you make it extra special for the loving and fabulous mom in your life. My Venti Cafe has partnered with Imagekind to bring you a last-minute gift. The gift of art. One lucky winner will receive a 17" x 17" story frame that holds four 5" x 5" photos. You, dear winner, can choose the art, the frame finish and the matting. (That's what is so cool about Imagekind.. it empowers you to create custom, framed works of art without ever walking into a frame shop!)

In addition to the gorgeous frame, I'm tossing in the art itself. If your mom is the edgy and cool type, she may love the Love Me Knot design in Glam Black. Is mommy more the Lilly Pulitzer type? Choose from the other five vibrant colors to create your arrangement or take a look at the newest release in multicolor. Regardless, you have to hurry. Giveaway ends Sunday night at midnight CST.

How do you win? In the comments below, share a memorable Mother's Day story. Maybe it was the first year you yourself became a mom... maybe you recall taking your mom to lunch on Mother's Day when you were just a tot. Maybe it was a year you and your mom bonded as adults. Maybe you have something more unique and personal to share... winner will be drawn at random. Contest ends this Sunday night - so hurry!

{Small print: Winner will get to choose from Love Me Knot designs (solid and multicolor) and will then choose framing options via Imagekind. Must live within North America. This lovely gift might arrive a day or so after Mother's Day due to the realities of life and schedules, but we'll keep our fingers crossed!}

Posted at 07:29 AM in art, contest, design, glamorous gifts, home accessories, photography, style | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

March 12, 2010

Breath Of Fresh Air

While there is still a chill in the air some days, it's clear we're nearing day after day of warm weather. I for one can't wait. The good news is that you can still enjoy a good deal of layering in your outfits. You simply need to rethink your approach and start with thinner layers. Most importantly, don't forget the accessories. You can pile them on with abandon like this fair haired beauty above. Notice her jewelry has an air of edge and funk to it - but the rest of her appearance screams classic beauty. Fresh hair, clean makeup, natural pink lips, manicured nails, classic trench. There's nothing bohemian about anything in her appearance except for the excessive hardware about her neck and earlobes. That, dear people, is fabulous French style at it's best.

{Image courtesy of the Sartorialist}

Posted at 02:18 PM in observations, photography, style | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

February 10, 2010

Social Climbers

The Spring/Summer 2010 Prada campaign evokes the vibe of an old suspense film. The Chinese street scene is both sexy and a bit mysterious. I didn't really need to see the shots to start craving this satchel or this tote but I'm grateful my good twitter friend Khayyam sent it to me. Why? Because now I may need to add Prada luggage to my fantasy wish list. :)

Posted at 06:05 AM in art, luxury, photography, things to do before I die | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

December 22, 2009

Anticipation

Isn't this a great photo? For me it oozes anticipation. Surely these are the legs of a girl waiting excitedly for her date to arrive... or maybe she's being coy and flirting with someone she's just met. It could be any number of possibilities being implied. What I do know for certain is that the lovey Dior Le Trente bag and strappy platforms are a force to be reckoned with. It's hard to ignore their high gloss glamour. Le fabuleux!

Posted at 07:38 AM in fabulousness, luxury, photography | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

December 10, 2009

Glamorous Life

More Parisienne beauty abounds at Marquis de Lannes.

Posted at 11:16 AM in globetrotting, luxury, photography | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

December 09, 2009

Façonnable

Just random awesomeness from the Sartorialist. The lens, the focus, the subjects, the settings... perfection as usual.

Posted at 02:47 PM in art, beauty, photography, style | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 24, 2009

West End Girls

Ladies, our sisters across the pond are really on-point with this season's looks. These are women seen on the street, not on the runway. Yes, you read that right. These are just well-heeled (pun intended) Londonites reminding us to ever vigilant in our fight against unfashionable attire.

Feeling inspired? Excellent. Then my work here is done and I can move on to the next international crisis. Now go forth and be fashionable!

{Photos courtesy of Tommy Ton via style.com}

Posted at 11:18 AM in coolfinding, culture, events, fabulousness, fashion, observations, photography, style | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

July 25, 2009

Model Citizens

Cleaning up my desktop I came across some candid shots taken during Paris Fashion week. Before I tossed them I thought I'd post them here. If I recall, these were all found on The Moment, one of the NYT blogs.

Candid shots tell such stories, don't they? True or not, I can usually craft a possibly storyline surrounding each candid photo.

Let's take that final photo for example... what do you suppose she's thinking and what are the throngs of stylists, media and fashion directors standing around saying to her as she fidgets with the belt on her fitted top? Any takers?

Posted at 09:36 AM in photography | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: candid photos, celebrities, fashion photography, models, moment, paris fashion week

May 16, 2009

Looking Through Avedon's Lens

The NYT has a wonderful article about iconic photographer Richard Avedon this week. His work is the stuff of legend. Pulling moments and actions out of models that others would have missed or never intended to capture. Avedon was - and is - in a league of his own.

For me, it is his ability and need to capture movement. As you know, I believe candid shots tell the most compelling stories and give the subject the greatest opportunity for a flattering image. But more than that, the contain a glimpses into a real moment in time.

Continue reading "Looking Through Avedon's Lens" »

Posted at 06:23 AM in photography | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

May 08, 2009

Details, Details, Details

Before I get into the main topic of this post, I want to thank Franki Durbin again for giving me the opportunity to be a Guest Blogger for Life In A Venti Cup. I've really enjoyed authoring these blog posts, and I hope you have enjoyed them as well.

My first guest post highlighted some interesting photography iPhone apps, my second post was about changing your point of view in your photographs, and this post is going to cover another idea to make your photographs more interesting.

That idea is: Focus on the Details

Sometimes we are in such a rush to get from Point A to Point B, that we forget to admire the details around us. I will use the Eiffel Tower again as an example. A classic Eiffel Tower photograph looks something like this:

Image courtesy of Anirudh Koul

However, by simply taking the time to admire and capture the details, your photographs can become quite unique and creative. Here are some of the details of the Eiffel Tower:

Image courtesy of -RS-

Image courtesy of monkeycat!

Image courtesy of Juergen Kurlvink

Image courtesy of killermonkeys

Hopefully you've found this post inspiring - not only due to these photographs, but as a reminder to soak in the details of the beauty that surrounds us everyday. Please feel free to leave Comments below, or contact me directly via Twitter: @ryanswigert

Posted at 08:36 AM in photography | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

May 07, 2009

What's Your Point... Of View?

In my previous guest blog post on Life in a Venti Cup, I shared some interesting photography apps for the iPhone. In this post, I will share with you a very simple idea to make your photographs more interesting.

That idea is: Change your point of view.

Let's use the Eiffel Tower for an example. When I think of the Eiffel Tower, an image like the one below pops into my mind.

Image courtesy of Anirudh Koul

However, by simply changing your point of view, you can make your photographs more interesting, and intriguing. Below are some examples.

Image courtesy of danorbit

Image courtesy of hampshiregirl

Image courtesy of = xAv =

And I had to include this rather comical photo of the Eiffel Tower as a lamp:

Image courtesy of @t

So while you're out there capturing your Venti Life, try changing your point of view. I think you'll be pleased with the results.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the Comments, or contact me direct via Twitter: @ryanswigert

Posted at 08:31 AM in photography | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

May 04, 2009

Capturing the Venti Life

Hello, my name is Ryan and I am a "Venti-holic". With all of us living the Venti Life, sometimes we need to remind ourselves to capture all of these wonderful moments. Franki has given me permission to author a few blog posts here this week. I will be focusing (pun totally intended) on photography and helping you capture your own Venti Life.

In this first post, I will highlight three iPhone photography apps that you can use to help create, edit, and share your photography. If you do not have an iPhone, no worries - My other posts will be covering simple photography tricks to make your photos more interesting.

I. CameraBag
This is my "go to" iPhone photography app when I want to spice up an image. This app provides you with ten filters, which include: Helga, Mono, Fisheye, Lolo, 1974, Instant, 1962, Infrared, Cinema, and Original. Below are samples of these filters in use:

Helga Filter

Instant Filter (in combination with another iPhone photography app called: TiltShift)

CameraBag can be purchase in the iPhone App Store for $2.99.

II. ColorSplash
This is a fun app to have in your bag of tricks. It allows you to select a specific area of a photo and make that selected area colored, whereas the other parts of the photo are gray scale. When you really want an object to "pop" in your photo, this would be an app that can help you out. Below is an example:

ColorSplash

In the photo above, my jeans were dark blue and the carpet was tan. The ColorSplash app turned the entire photo to gray scale, and I selected my funky shoes to be the only objects with color.

ColorSplash can be purchased in the iPhone App Store for $1.99.

III. Mobile Fotos
Once we have all these cool looking photos - What do we do with them? Mobile Fotos is an app that allows you to post your photos to your Flickr account. I use this app on a weekly, if not daily, basis and have been extremely pleased with the ease of use and flexibility it provides for posting photos to Flickr.

Mobile Fotos can be purchased in the iPhone App Store for $2.99.

Wrap-up
The three apps that I covered in this post are just the tip of the iceburg when it comes to Photography apps for the iPhone. Here is a screenshot of my iPhone's home page, where you can see some of the other Photography apps that I use:

If you have any questions about any of the Photography apps that I covered in this post, or any of the ones in my iPhone screenshot - Feel free to leave your questions in the comment section, and I will be sure to answer them. You can also contact me directly via Twitter: @ryanswigert

Thank you again to Franki for allowing me to be a Guest Blogger this week, and I hope you all enjoy capturing your Venti Life!

Posted at 10:48 AM in photography | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

April 24, 2009

That Nato Sure is Neato

Regular readers of Decor8 have already seen these photos...but the rest of you can pick your collective jaws off the floor once you've had plenty of time admiring these beautiful photos. And those of you who read this blog and decor8, I'm certain you didn't mind seeing these twice in one week! They are the impressive work of Nato Welton, whose work I did not previously know until, oh, ten minutes ago. Be sure to explore the rest of his online portfolio for yourself.

{images: nato welton via sarah kaye...The talented Mr. Welton is represented by Sarah Kaye in London. }

Posted at 07:51 AM in art, coolfinding, photography, success | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)