top (this) chef

i'm resurrecting this blog, in part, because i came across so many wonderful things last weekend and i want to share them. the first is this fantastic index cutting board. with or without corresponding knives, there is a board for veggies, one for fish, another for hot items and lastly, for meat. i first saw it at grounded, in encinitas, but have found them available all over the web, including via amazon.com.

an italian love affair

i fell hard for this "rock" rug while window shopping in LA and went into the store (italy 2000) to snap a photo for this blog. just as i was about to point + shoot, i heard a woman (nicole) shriek from the depths of the shop, "stop! no pictures!" i finally convinced her to let me take just one. i've never seen anything like it and can't begin to imagine how much it must cost, but we're always being told to "dream big," are we not?

a new kind of shelf life

i found a wonderful little book while shopping at paper source today. it's a journal in which you only write one line a day - a guilt-free, low-investment way to journal in today's ADD inflicted world. even the busiest amongst can manage one line, can we not? fast-forward five years and you have a lovely collection of musings, sweetly encapsulating the sacred and profane, memorable and mundane.

other great journal/gift ideas include a one line a day version for mothers, a quotable kid book and a gratitude journal. as the trite but true saying goes, "how we spend our days is how we spend our lives."

each of the above books is published by chronicle books

frank gehry

the august issue of vanity fair features experts' picks of the most important works of architecture created in the last 30 years. their site also features a frank gehry slide show. his work is singular, showy and stunning. while i find these buildings extraordinary, i wonder if they look better in aerial shots. i say this because seattle's experience music project photographs beautifully, but in real life, as viewed @ street level, it looks like a congealed mess. as follows are some of his unique designs:

guggenheim museum in bilbao, spain

 weisman art museum in minneapolis, minnesota - 1993

 the nationale-nederlanden building, prague, czech republic - 1996

hotel marques de riscal, elciego, spain - 2006 

 walt disney concert hall, los angeles, california - 2003

 the iac building, nyc - 2007

 the novartis building, basel, switzerland - 2009

seattle's experience music project - 2000

world cup wonder: fabio cannavaro

every four years the world cup brings triumph, tragedy and beautiful men w/charming accents to the world stage. when, in the 116th minute, spain's andres inesta saved the final from being decided by penalty kicks, i was  reminded of another short world cup standout with a shaved head: italy's '06 captain + mvp fabio cannavaro, whose photos i'm posting simply because i want to look @ them.

nacho figueras' buenos aires home

check out polo star nacho figueras' spectacular buenos aires home, as featured in the april '10 issue of elle decor.

the low-slung, modernist house was designed by architect juan ignacio ramos. the interior is a mix of pampas tradition and minimalism. nacho's own painting hangs above the fireplace. the sexy cowhide le corbusier chaise lounge adds a sophisticated ruggedness to the room and complements the chesterfield.

photography by steven klein hangs above the red chesterfield. art by nacho's wife's brother, sculptor eduardo blaquier, dot many of the rooms throughout the house. 

the hallway features a painting by gustavo serra and a LC2 chair by cassina

photos by steven klein and nacho's wife, delfina blaquier, grace the elegantly eclectic dining room 

another photo of delfina's hangs above the bed she designed 

find of the decade: a cardboard frank gehry wiggle chair for $2.50 @ a buenos aires junk shop 

source: elle decor via all that inspires

in the closet

i've been inspired by a house beautiful article on san francisco interior designer melissa warner. her closet, pictured below, is graced w/ framed b/w photos of jacqueline kennedy, whose "effortless elegance" warner admires. she believes one should "love your closets. paint them, paper them, hang pictures in them to inspire you. and definitely light them."

i'm lucky to have two large walk-in closets. i love all the space, but must admit they're really b o r i n g: white walls + strictly utilitarian. they deserve some lively paint, inspiring images (such as the framed poster shown above) and charm. an upside to closeted jackie portraits: i'm pretty sure i'd put more effort into looking chic in the morning if deciding on my outfit under her discriminating gaze.

dream a little dream

photo: ditte isager

new moon's cullens' house

this contemporary w. vancouver home was on the market in nov. '09 for $3.3 million. used in the twilight saga: new moon, it has five bedrooms, an outdoor pool, a chef's kitchen and a koi pond. the property was designed by famed architect arthur erickson and completely renovated in '01 by brian hemingway.