Blackburn + Sweetzer Has Moved

— Photos and text by Christina von Messling
It does sound a bit insane, but in the worst weather times Southern California has ever seen (Tornado warnings, hail!), I found myself driving up to Santa Barbara last week to tackle their wine region with a friend who recently moved up there. Rescheduling was shortly considered but [...]

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— Text and photos by Lilliam Rivera
Not even a slight snowstorm would stop me from checking out Italy’s Prada outlet, Space. Located in a small town called Montevarchi, Space is just a 45-minute train ride from Florence in a nondescript warehouse.
Upon arriving, a machine outside issues you a number that you present to the salesclerk [...]

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I’m going to state the obvious—namely, how wonderful an opportunity it can be to connect with someone online whom you might not otherwise cross paths with. That’s what happened to me right before the holidays when Angie Sorensen dropped me a quick note saying she’d just come upon B+S: “Just subscribed,” she wrote, “I’m hooked! [...]

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In Bellevue’s first Neiman Marcus, also the first in the region
I’ve mentioned here and there that I grew up in Redmond, Washington. Over the holidays, I spent time in nearby Bellevue, a suburb also east of Seattle, which has always been upscale, but has reached new heights of schmancy-ness in the past years. The Bellevue [...]

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— From our friends at TheFind
Once the presents have been opened and the house guests have come and gone you can finally look forward to your post-holiday escape. If you are jetting off to somewhere exotic and warm lined with white sandy beaches why not splurge on yourself and spend those gift cards straight away [...]

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I’ve never stayed in Winston-Salem before, but the husband brings me here, as he’s giving a talk at his alma mater, Wake Forest. We always laugh because when we met, for some reason, I thought North Carolina, and the south in general, was deserty, perhaps like my then imagined idea of Texas? But, [...]

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The husband and I had a layover at the Houston airport, where (along with a statue of George Herbert Walker Bush), it was hoppin’ at Chili’s Too, the only sit-down restaurant option near our gate. We ordered some grilled chicken sandwiches (the ‘healthy’ option, with cheese, bacon and fries), a beer and a [...]

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Eat like an Emmy contender at Pinot Bistro; click to expand
The Emmy Awards are over and done with, but the menu from the Governors Ball continues at Pinot Bistro (12969 Ventura Boulevard; 818-990-0500) in Studio City through Saturday, September 26. The $60 prix fixe meal includes a ‘Flavors from the Farmers Market’ first course, an [...]

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Palm Springs is a jewel in the desert and boats iconic mid-century architecture, vintage furniture shops, and many luxe boutique hotels all touting the chic desert lifestyle. With all of the colors and inspirational sights in Palm Springs there is one name that comes to mind when you think of colorful vintage inspired fashion in [...]

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It’s as if Christian Audigier (who, apparently is moving into Michael Jackson’s home) and L. Ron Hubbard were maniacally laughing from their respective lairs: “Nice try, suckers! You thought you could leave us in LA? You think our cult-ish following stops at the city limits? Not so, not so…”
Right on Wisconsin in Georgetown is an [...]

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I was looking forward to going into Georgetown. Have many fond memories from college breaks and summers on M Street. Perhaps my anticipation was a little too high, but I was struck by the numbers of chains, the feeling of being in a mall, but not. The architecture, the pulse of people on [...]

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A little walk from Dupont Circle, the husband and I met up with his cousin for margaritas at Lauriol Plaza. I can’t speak on the food, but the restaurant—completely massive with three floors and multiple outdoor seating areas—was incredibly busy on a Saturday afternoon. Casual and fun.

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