and it was all so simply and beautifully done. thank you katie and shannon and everyone at matchbook who helped make this lovely story about the studio happen.
i mean these pix are amazathon..right? yup..thank you so much studio roomie sarah winchester!
..so rush right over to matchbook now..a fabby online pub that honors Law and me this month.
you made me feel like a supershtahr.
take 2 of these tates cookies..spread a bit of hagen dazs vanilla and a bit of the dirty soco onto one side.
top with another cookie..and c'est magnifique you are home!
ohhh soma. how yummy are you? i must admit that in the old days, when i first encountered a chocolate specialist who offered me treats from the cocoa beans from around the world ("oh jill..you must try this single source 75% from Tobago"..i was totally turned off by how much fuss he was making over his chocalate. "oh just give me a Lindt bar dude!" i thought to myself..but these days every one makes just this kind of fuss over all kinds of food ..so i suppose i am used to it. Soma is one of those beautiful spots where they take it to another level, and because the stuff tastes so good..i guess i got over my initial aversion.
Soma's lovely shop is located at the renovated distillery..which is a cool maze of cobblestone streets and old brick factory buildings. Soma's neighbors are a cool assortment of galleries, design stores, cafes, and unique restaurants.
while we were there we enjoyed an assortment of wonderful homemade chocolate,(i take mine dark) and tasted a deliciously smooth chocolate gelato.
if you are headed to toronto any time soon..soma should be on your list..fo sho.
we had never met, but we were put together by aid to artisans to create a new line for a la palma workshop..in 5 days!!!
it was one of my favorite design adventures ever, and was certainly more inspiring for us designers than it was for the el salvadorans. isn't that the way? 
nevertheless, xenia and i formed a true, and wonderful friendship. and the other night we visited her as well as her family and friends who live here in toronto. we had a marvelous time, eating and talking shop (can you blame us?) so this morning i am celebrating the wonderful work she has done with barnes and nobles. i now always carry a xenia bird blank book with me for sketching and hangman!
see you at the gift show xenia!
here is my uncensored review. 1. i was shocked to learn that sir elton wrote the songs because there wasn't a great one in the bunch..and this is a hit musical! 2. the choreography and staging of the production was the best part of the show. 3. the boy who played billy had a weak stage presence, and though he was a good dancer, his affected northern accent was annoying. 4. the star of the show is kate hennig as mrs. wilkinson billy's dance teacher. 5. the showstopper is a slapstick-y number in which billy and his cross dressing friend michael put on women's clothing, and romp around the stage. i gave the show a 7.meh out of ten.
one spent the whole time trying to land a basic flippy trick going down some steps. (he never landed it) i can't even stand on a board. 
i have always been fascinated by this xtreme sport. it seems so ridiculously cool. just a board and 4 wheels and the street. and a seriously casual attitude.
i loved dogtown and z boys. (these pix are from the film) these guys were the 70's original thing. and recently loch got a million tech decks (miniature board toys) that had this video of two brilliant skateboarders doing tricks. love.
i realize that this here is no gingham suit with the peplum..but i was pretty sure i could never look at it again without being sad.
in fact i ran right out and bought 2 shirts in the fabric for the hubs for daddy's day. he has yet to put them on!
i am even thinking i might need one.
will i be able to rock the look?
i am worried!
though this odd executive park style location is strangely off the beaten path (must have come in to the game late) it is ultra luxe as is the case with all four seasons. my roomie sister cynthia and i lived it up with a room service breakfast each of the 3 mornings we were there. fan-cee!
cynthia enjoyed a special spa massage with the hot rocks, while my parents were caught drinking the afternoon away by the very chic pool.
on our last evening we were treated to a lovely dinner in their quattro restaurant which is their prettiest group of rooms in this otherwise non descript hotel. i was seated facing these quite interesting sculptures that reminded of 80's art star robert longo.
on my last day in town i found a little shop called Room Service in the Hayes Valley right down the street from our favorite friends at Lotus Bleu. the store had very fun pillows in david hicksian fabrics..that i thought might work out with our new turquoise jonathan adler parker chair! any thoughts?
but it was not lost on me as a new york kid that the bruins rocked the best outfits in the NHL. congrats bruins!
we got to hang around a couple of groovy hoods, had some brunch in the castro, and then meandered over to the hayes valley where we discovered smitten ice cream!
anyone who knows me will tell you that i adore ice cream, and i am not a brand snob..though i do love my ben and jerrys (lawrence often calls those guys my boyfriends), but this place was uber mod, and oh so fun. in the first place their space was built from 2 shipping containers..and let's not forget that the brand name is very hot...Smitten! for ice cream? come on!!
but then there is the ice cream which is concocted from all natural (this is san fran people) ingredients, and made into ice cream by using liquid nitrogen. modern. i was bummed that they had run out of chocolate..though my choice of the salted caramel was very nice (other flavor basil rosemary mint just not my thing). 
mostly i just loved their super contemporary style that attempts to mix up the old and the new..the hokey and the slick. kudos.
we were thinking of hosting a really awesome din din, and hiring ina garten to do the cooking..
then everyone can get cozy and have a whompingly fun sleepover..
the next day we can all just go hang out on the beach, catch some waves, read the new yorker..you know..suuuuper casual!
do you wanna come?
{in my mind} all of this brought to you by my new thing pinterest. i suggest you go on over for a visit..so fun.
i cannot get enough of this new favey color combo
orange and taupe together..
sophisticated and elegant with a wee bit of subversion thrown in
just the right amount
be on the look out for more of the same in our fall collection.
a little bit hermes-y 
a little bit louboutin ish
perfection..your thoughts?
