Off to New York!

At times, I lament that my job is not "as cool" as many of you designers out there, but every once in a while, I get to do something fun! I'm headed up to NYC for the Wine & Food Festival.

In the past, I've only attended the event in Miami. I'm quite certain that the New York version will have a different flair. Admittedly, I'm only in for a few days and will probably just hit the Trade Tasting event, but you know I'll be on the lookout for...

And, I'll try to behave myself better than the last event in Miami, when I admitted to Bobby Flay that I've had a long-time crush on him (can you say stalker!?)

The most exciting part of the trip, however, will be catching up with my friend Jill. Jill, and her boyfriend M, are graciously hosting me tonight. Jill is the type of friend you hope everyone has. She's always there to listen, quietly offer advice, and loads of fun. She also has her own blog, Jillie of All Trades, where she describes herself as a "brownie-baking, gadget-loving, once-a-year triathlete, sometimes sporty city girl". Please say hello!

Jill has also promised to take me to the High Line, which I fell in love with remotely when Habitually Chic first blogged about it here and fell deeper in love with Jillie's recent posts here and here.

Have a wonderful end to the week! I'll be back to give my review of Birmingham, AL's Simon Pearce signing at Table Matters. The event did not disappoint and I totally blew my budget.

--Emmie

Top photos from FoodTV; last photo by Jillie of All Trades

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Hawaiian Punch (Sunsets)

We're back! I'm way behind on all email accounts and checking everyone's blog. Thank you so much for your kind comments. I've missed you!

Since the vacation is over, I thought it appropriate to share some of the sunset photos. Could not believe the gorgeous sunsets we saw. So much beauty all over all the islands we visited!! Note- these images are just from two evenings. It is amazing the color pallet the skyline shows.

The third night in Maui

Our last night in Maui....

Looking forward to catching up!

Emmie

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House of Schrager: South Beach and Southampton Comparison

I was delighted to find that Elle Decor featured Rita Norena Schrager's Southampton home, "inspired by the snowy palette of the Delano Hotel." Yes, the last name is no coincidence. Ms. Schrager's ex-husband is famed hotelier Ian Schrager.

The Delano is absolutely one of my favorite hotels and given that I was reading while en route to South Florida, I found the article very apropos.

My first reaction was to second-guess just how much inspiration The Delano actually provided. After all, one is heavily influenced by the surrounding Art Deco area, while the other is, well, Hamptons-style! Upon review, however, there are some interesting correlations. What do you think?

CAUTION: This is a very image-rich post!

Exterior

Front Porch

Delano Entrance


Delano Front Porch

Living Room

Delano Lobby

Delano Bungalow

Delano Apartment

Foyer

Delano Florida Room

Kitchen

Delano Rose Bar


Delano Blue Door

Dining Room

Blue Sea

Library

Lobby

Florida Room

Daughter's Bedroom

Delano Agua Spa

Master Bedroom

Delano Room

Delano Oceanside Room

Delano Suite

Master Bath


Delano Agua Spa




Pool



Delano Pool

Playhouse

Delano Bungalows

So what do you think? See any similarities? Regardless, I'll take either.

-Emmie

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Weekend in the Gardens... A Getaway Callaway Gardens

For my birthday present, Mr. Southern Aspirations took me to Callaway Gardens for the weekend.  He knows how much I enjoy gardening and going to the spa and thought it would be a perfect combination for a trip (not to mention the option for him to play a round of golf!).   

A few quick notes... I recommend that you stay either at the Lodge or the Cottages by the Lodge (didn't see the villas).  We started out at Mountain Creek Inn, but that lasted all of 2 minutes. I'm sure some of the rooms were fine, but the motel-look was not quite what we were going for.  The Spa was fabulous- Mr. Southern booked a massage for me while he played golf. They incorporate aromatherapy and have a nice relaxation lounge.  Friendly, but not overly talkative. The happy finale was seeing the Claus Porto soaps on sale for 50% off in the gift shop! (apparently, they didn't sell well).  

We enjoyed hiking the property- which is much more expansive than I had imagined- and getting inspiration and ideas for our backyard project. Interestingly, the property predominately natural-looking wooded areas and only some highly manicured gardens.  Much of the wooded areas have Azaleas as well though, so I'm sure if you time it right, it is gorgeous. We also relaxed by the pool, went bike riding- my first time in years (and yes, the adage is mostly true, though I was a little shaky), and had a lovely dinner overlooking the Gardens and Golf Course.  While it's certainly not the Greenbrier (which I believe is on the market, if you're looking to pick up a little property) or the Biltmore, it is a lovely woodsy getaway about an hour outside of Atlanta and I look forward to going back. Hope you enjoy the pictures!  

Koi pond at the Sibley Horticultural Center.  Love the structural elements amid the water and lush greenery.

Herons everywhere!

Footbridge over the lake (and my sad attempt to show reflections in my photography)

Love the idea of having a climbing plant creating shade for a swing.

Pretty flowers outside the Butterfly center, quite possibly my favorite section of the gardens. 

 

I'll end with the butterflies.  They were everywhere in the conservatory.  Fascinating to watch. This is a USDA protected area, however, since many of the species are not native to the US.  

Have a great start to the week!

-Emmie

PS- Posting this week will be slower as I hit the Deli/Bakery trade show and host my colleagues in Atlanta. Wish me luck! Can't wait to catch up on everyone's Blogs afterwards!  And for any foodies, I'll try to get good stuff from the show!  

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