I recently had the opportunity to stay at Willows Lodge in Woodinville, Washington. Willows Lodge is truly such an amazing and magical place and the property is so beautiful. It’s located on five lush acres that border the Sammamish River in West Washington’s wine country. Willows Lodge makes every effort to be the most relaxing getaway. Each guest room and suite has a gorgeous fireplace and soaking tub designed for two and the exterior of the lodge is so green and beautiful.
As you guys probably already know, I am ALWAYS traveling. I love getting to see places
and experience new things, but I also love having all my essentials with me so I can feel at
home even when I’m away. Thankfully, I recently found a luggage company who values these
things as well! Away Luggage believes that your suitcase should act as your home away from
home.
A few weeks ago I packed my little family up and made the little trek from Phoenix to LA in hopes of escaping the heat. We love LA. Mostly because it's where we met back in 2010 and also where we lived during our peak party years. Lots of memories from that time and friends that are family to this day.
I recently partnered with BumbleBFF and Mountain Shadows Resort to host a girl’s staycation in Paradise Valley, Arizona. As part of the Staycation, Mountain Shadows Resort hosted us for dinner at their premier resort restaurant, Hearth ‘61. Hearth ‘61 offers fine dining and a full bar within the most relaxing atmosphere. Dining there was such an amazing experience! The restaurant has amazing mountainside views, as well as views of the resort’s pool. The kitchen is open so guests are welcomed and encouraged to observe their food being prepared with fresh ingredients and time-honored cooking styles.
Next time you vacay in Palm Springs you HAVE to visit Avalon Hotel’s restaurant, Chi Chi! I recently had the pleasure of dining there and it was the best! Everything about Chi Chi is perfect. First of all, the general atmosphere in the restaurant is so cute. Everything is bright and white, and it has such a calming vibe. Chi Chi has the cutest bar and the drink selection is so extensive. They definitely have whatever you’re in the mood for.
Who doesn’t love a good staycation?? I know I do, and Hotel Valley Ho knows how to do it right! Hotel Valley Ho is mid-century modern and contemporary hotel located in Downtown Scottsdale, Arizona. It is such an interesting hotel because of its unique architectural design and historical roots. John B. Mills, Robert Foehl and his wife Evelyn, opened the hotel way back in 1956 and built the hotel with the belief that “the important thing is to make your guest feel wanted” and from experience I can tell you that they still take that belief seriously today!
Once I begin planning my trip and viewing various rates between airlines, I go directly to the airline website to see if there are any additional savings I can find through their exclusive promotional offers! Southwest airlines are one of my favorite airlines for this reason, often offering wanna get away fares for as low as $50 one way!
This past weekend we made a little trip out to Tucson for some of the world's best Mexican food. We let the JW Marriott Starr Pass spoil us a little, and we stuffed ourself every hour on the hour with delicious food!
Did you know thatTucson is home to the most authentic Mexican food north of the border?? Most of these restaurants are found found within a 23-mile area that includes the City of South Tucson, downtown and lower midtown. At these restaurants (many are actually family-owned and decades old) the settings are casual and ingredients are fresh. And most have been around a VERY long time.
Last week we had a "date weekend" at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn. We were LONG overdo for some down time, and a "date NIGHT" just wouldn't suffice. This property SCREAMS romance. Think: desert meets Old Hollywood. I love an environment that allows you to wear your Yoga pants OR dress to the nines! Either one will do.
It was 1926 and despite the full, heady swing of the “Jazz Age,” Delos Willard Cooke at age sixty-two was tired. His career as a railroad and steamship executive in New York was coming to a close. He, a nephew of banking mogul J.P. Morgan, could now look back with pride at his long career in transportation, which included being a top executive at the Cunard Steamship Line, vice president of the Erie Railroad, and federal fuel administrator for the state of New York.
Yesterday I attended a fabulous (by any foodie standards) event at the JW Marriott Resort. It's literally just a couple of miles from my home, but it feels like a vacation the minute you pull up.
The event was held outside at Bar 1936 and then later taken inside to a private dining room inside Lincoln. Lincoln is known for its locally-sourced, modern cuisine while Bar 1936 is know for its uniquely crafted cocktails and sharable, tapas-style plates.
THE VIDEO IS HERE!
I've been SOOO excited to share this video with you guys and here it is! While I was in NYC, Michael Forrey of Sassoon Salon NYC recreated the VFILES FW17 runway looks on me. Check out some #BTS action of VFILES FW17 and learn how to create those looks on yourself.
This time of year, for the last SIX, I was getting my outfits in line and dieting for Coachella. I made so many amazing memories and feel blessed to have experienced it in what many would call its prime (and many would disagree, I like to believe the latter).
Anyway, if you've never been it can seem like this crazy unattainable event that only celebrities go to. And, in a way, it is. It's super expensive to go to Coachella, especially if you don't live on the West Coast.
If you don't already have plans in line for this year's festival, it's likely that you're not going. Tickets are hard to come by unless you want to buy them off of Craigslist for 5x their worth, and housing is another HORSE entirely.
However, I realize that a lot of you are going for the first time so I wanted to put together a little list of tips to make your trip successful. Because it's likely that you spent your college tuition on a ticket and place to stay :) ... lets do this!
As you know, I have been going to Sassoon Salon in Scottsdale and have been having such an amazing experience with Scottsdale Creative Director, Ben Ko and Assistant Color Director, Tara Forman. Because of this, I couldn’t wait to see the looks that Sassoon would be creating on fashion's biggest stage! Creative Director, Michael Forrey lead the direction of the runway hair styles at VFILES (which were SO 100). And then recreated them on me a few days later. Don't worry, we filmed the WHOLE THING.
