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cerulean travelogue
dreaming of faraway places...
inspiration: florence, italy... march 2010
While looking through some photos from a recent trip to Italy, I came across these images of the Duomo in Florence and the view from the top of the dome. The sights, sounds and smells of this day are all fresh in my memory. We had just left an amazing cafe serving pesto pea pizzas and buffalo mozzarella that was more similar to ice cream than cheese. As an art history major, I was soaking up all of the art and architecture. The climb to the top of the dome did a hat trick on my claustrophobia, but the view from the top was worth every moment stuck in a cramped large, spiraling staircase between the inner and outer domes.
Inspired by the colors of
these images- the soft grays, pale green, terracotta, and loads of
white- I put together this sampling of Cerulean. You can call it, living
in images of Florence.
gathered toe flat- agate necklace - julie dress in nickel - julie dress in blush - stormy gray pleated top - gold filigree earrings - childrens jade caftan - childrens peach embroidered tunic - studded wallet - ivory pom pom blanket
the saints go marching in... february 2010
While we all know the Super Bowl took place in Miami this past Sunday night, I knew the party was going to be happening in New Orleans. So we headed down there early Sunday morning to check out the festivities and enjoy some amazing Creole cuisine in the French Quarter.
By 11 am an impromptu parade was gearing up made up of revelers in black and gold head to toe. There were plenty of gold spandex unitards, fleur de lis, and glitter wigs, dogs wearing Brees jerseys and normally bizarre street performers being outdone by locals on parade. An incessant chorus of “Who Dat?” wafted from the streets and the insides of buildings and fell down on us from the balconies above Bourbon. The city was more alive than it is on Fat Tuesday and everyone… I mean everyone… was having a good time.
We settled in for a delicious lunch at my favorite, Galatoire’s, with piping hot French bread, cocktails and oysters flowing to our table from the kitchen. We shared fresh lump blue crabmeat prepared numerous ways, pan fried fish and café brulot that Billy flambeaued with such panache. (image above) Periodically some of the revelers from outside would parade through the white table cloth establishment carrying boom boxes blasting “When the saints come marching in”. Diners waved white napkins in the air and chanted “Who dat” back to the paraders (who, we were told, were friends of the chef). The spirit got to such a frenzy that anytime someone- ANYONE- walked through the door of the restaurant, diners stood up and cheered them! It was a spectacular day to be in New Orleans.
Good thing we were not in a hurry to get anywhere, because the city shut down all streets leading in and out of the French Quarter and the party intensified. Mardi Gras meets the Super Bowl equals a fantastic New Orleans kind of day! Below are pictures of Saints parades both on the streets and through Galatoire’s.
Given the excitement about the Big Easy with the Super Bowl win and Fat Tuesday just around the corner, we thought this was a good time to share our New Orleans City Guide. Full of our favorite spots to eat and shop, this travel guide will take you through the cities delights from Bourbon Street down Magazine Street and all through Uptown.
Click here to check out our New Orleans City Guide…
eating your way through nyc... january 2010
As promised, we tried some new and notable restaurants while in New York City last week amidst the most intense cold snap imaginable. We also, unfortunately, tried some not-so-notable places, but the good out-weighed the bad on this trip. Here are two stand outs…
Company is a pizza place right next to… nothing… on 9th avenue and 26th street. While you probably won’t ever be in the neighborhood, its worth a trip for the thin pizza pies on a soft crust with fabulous toppings. Most notable were the “Popeye” which had fresh spinach, toasted until crisp in the giant pizza ovens over gobs of melted gruyere and buffalo mozzarella, and the "Flambe" (reminiscent of the Alsatian Tarte Flambee) with caramelized onions, lardons and béchamel. Don’t let the faux fireplace blazing on a big screen tv fool you- the food is authentic and delicious. They don't take reservations and tables are communal, but it kind of adds to the fun.
230 Ninth Avenue, New York, www.co-pane.com
History and contemporary sensibilities collide at Commerce, housed in the newly restored Grange Hall in Greenwich Village, once a Depression-era speakeasy (and formerly The Blue Mill Tavern). Tiny and bustling and tucked away on one of those streets you would miss if you blinked, the cocktails are divine and the food is too. I dined on roasted sweet potato tortelloni with hazelnuts, pomegranate and a buerre noisette, as well as sazeracs and champagne cocktails with house-made grenadine. It was a fabulous evening staying warm and catching up with old friends in a bistro-style café on a back street on a cold night.
50 Commerce Street, New York, www.commercerestaurant.com
Of course we hit some tried and true favorites that can’t be missed when in New York- Pastis for a brunch of oysters, croque monsieur, pomme frites and café au lait, and Le Pain Quotidian for flaky croissants, steel cut oatmeal and herb teas. If I hadn’t walked about a thousands miles while there, I know I would have come home twice my original size. But that is the beauty of Yew York- eat divine food and then walk it off through Central Park!
bundled up, then and now... january 2010
Heading to New York for a chilly weekend of buying and meetings with importers from around the world- hoping to find some fabulous things for this Spring! I have an appointment with a silk importer who has some fabulous new colors for the Julie dress, and we plan on bringing back lots of Moroccan baskets, silk scarves and beach cover ups for the warmer months ahead.
I came across this photo yesterday of little bitty me in an adorable yellow coat in Rockefeller center right after my fourth birthday. Wish I could look this cute this weekend while I’m bundled up to beat the 15 degree weather. But I do promise to try some new restaurants and share the scoop, as well as visit some old favorites. I can’t go to New York without a trip to Le Pain Quotidian, Pastis and Café Habana!
winter citrus... january 2010
Citrus is everywhere right now, being fresh in season, and I am constantly looking for new recipes to use up all the gorgeous satsumas (made marmalade), lemons (see the lemon meringue torte) and grapefruits that friends and neighbors have been sharing. What I love about these perfect fruits is that they aren’t perfect at all. A real lemon fresh off a tree looks nothing like the plastic-y perfect fruit found in most grocery stores! The outsides are blemished and rough, and the insides are heaven on earth. I may be biased, but I think the further south you go the better the citrus becomes, and it keeps me thinking of south Florida this time of year.
The absolute, without question, best fruit stand in south Florida is Robert Is Here on the way to the keys. So pack your convertible, save room for a bushel or two of produce and head to Homestead. Robert Is Here Fruit Stand was established in the late fall of 1959. At that time, a six-year-old boy was set on this very corner with some of his father’s cucumber crop and told to “Sell ‘em!” Robert sat all day that Saturday and no one even stopped. That evening, Robert’s father decided that “there can’t be that many people who don’t like cucumbers; they must not see this little boy standing here on the corner.”
The next day, Robert’s father placed a sign on each side of the table proclaiming in big red letters “Robert Is Here.” By noon Robert had sold all of the cucumbers. The following weekend, a neighboring farmer added tomatoes to Robert’s display and a fruit stand was born. Robert was out on the corner every day during Christmas break, and when school started again in January of 1960, Robert’s mother made arrangements for the bus to pick him up and drop him off at the fruit stand. He and his mother would set up the stand each morning and leave a coffee can on the table. Customers paid by leaving the money in the can using the honor system. The bus would drop Robert off after school and he would work his stand until it got dark. By the time Robert was nine years old, he had hired a neighbor lady to work for him while he was in school. Robert bought his first ten-acres of property when he was fourteen and planted an avocado grove.
Specializing in all sorts of tropical fruits, including some you’ve never heard of, Robert also sells canned produce using his mother’s recipes, makes up fresh shakes and smoothies and other goodies, and often has live music playing. It’s an experience.
Robert is Here 19200 SW 344th Street. Homestead, FL
Head out from Robert Is Here down South Dixie Highway and Highway One and you’ve reached the Keys. One of the best meals I’ve ever had was at the Marquesa in Key West on New Year’s Eve several years ago. One block from the famous (and rowdy) Duval Street, this former Catholic boardinghouse painted pale aqua-blue and yellow houses an award-winning boutique hotel and restaurant. The “innovative” Café Marquesa serves "fine Caribbean-Continental" food. The hotel rooms, restored 1884 conch houses, are situated around a little secluded garden oasis where we were served champagne on New Years after our amazing dinner of Lamb. Rated number 1 in Florida by Travel & Leisure Magazine, the hotel made their list of the 500 of the Worlds Best Hotels. The best part about it? Today’s weather report reads Sunny and 74 degrees.
http://www.marquesa.com/
a delicious new year... january 2010
While I don’t normally have an overly large sweet tooth, the cold weather of the past few weeks has kept me indoors eating nothing but stews and sweets. Not a terrible life. I recently tried a recipe for a three layer lemon cream filled meringue tower that was to die for. Three large flat meringues (almost the size of a pie) are layered with a homemade lemon curd full of tons of tangy zest folded with homemade whip cream. And repeat the layers and repeat again. If you can avoid eating the entire thing in one sitting, you are stronger than I. Thought the least I could do was share the recipe…
I didn’t take any pictures of my towering lemon confection, but I found a picture of a similar concoction in Gourmet Magazine July 2009. They used berries instead of lemon, but the concept is the same.
Lemon Meringue Torte
6 egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
¾ tsp vanilla
6 egg yolks
1 ¼ cups sugar
4 ½ TB lemon juice
2 TB lemon zest
1 ¼ cup whipping cream
3 teaspoons vanilla
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Beat egg whites until stiff in a electric mixer. Gradually add 1 ½ cups sugar and ¾ tsp vanilla. Divide the meringue mixture into thirds and pour onto a baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Spread to the diameter of a pie pan. (tip: I took an old pie pan and traced the outline on the parchment, then flipped the parchment over so you don’t get pen or pencil marks on your meringue. Makes gauging the right size of each meringue much easier) Bake one hour.
In a medium bowl beat egg yolks. Add remaining sugar, lemon juice and zest. Cook over a double boiler until thick (consistency of pudding), stirring occasionally. Cool. Whip cream with an electric mixture until it forms soft peaks. Whip in remaining vanilla. Remove cooled meringues from parchment and place the first on a cake stand (plate will do but its not as pretty). Spread with 1/3 the lemon cream. Layer the second meringue and repeat with filling. Repeat again. Thinly slice a lemon or two and place on top for decoration. Keep refrigerated. Serves 10. Enjoy!
notable words... january 2010
“hidden talent… counts for nothing.” – nero
We’ve waxed poetic about the lost art of letter writing before, and stand by the merit of letter press cards. Last summer we found the most amazing boxes of letterpress stationary and cards handmade in New Jersey that we sold out of in no time at all. But someone just told us about some cards of a different sort. Still exquisite in their handmade nature, these cards send a distinct and quirky message to your recipient. Each card is emblazoned with a quote from (in)famous historical figures (read dictators) that will leave you belly laughing at the hilarity, absurdity, brilliance or cruelty. Letterpress printed in Brooklyn on 100% cotton, Dictator Goods “was founded to occupy the intersection of handcrafted, high design and brazen irreverence.” Have a look and enjoy- a good laugh and some high quality stationary are guaranteed.
http://www.dictatorgoods.com/index.html
it’s complicated… december 2009
Happy holidays! Here’s hoping everyone had a good break, some quality family time, maybe a few gifts and a moment or two under the Mistletoe?? All of this, and a movie too. There is something about getting out of the house on a cold day when you know there is no school or work in the morning and enjoying a great movie with an obscenely large box of popcorn (go ahead and add that butter too). Hollywood saves some great ones for a late December release, and It’s Complicated made my list this year. I, of course, love everything Meryl Streep does: Devil Wears Prada, Out of Africa, Julie and Julia, and that only scratches the surface of her resume. While enjoying this romantic comedy I kept noticing Cerulean in frame after frame! Espadrilles (a’ la Toms shoes), Matta dupatta scarves, straw baskets and on an on! I knew we liked this film for a reason! Below are some movie stills (Universal pictures 2009), as well as a few products we saw in the film and a few more we thought Meryl’s character would love. I’m coveting her glamorous Spanish villa in the California hills overlooking the ocean, but she can keep all the “complicated”.
christmas wish list...
december 2009
Now that it’s December and the holidays are upon us, Christmas music blares through our office while we wrap presents for customers and send them off to each of the 50 states. We’ve shipped Matta sandals to
Hawaii and Virginia Johnson merino shawls to upstate
New York. Pom Pom Throws are a favorite gift in
Florida, and
Nashville loves our many versions of Chai Tea Glasses. I’ve wrapped more than a few gifts myself for friends and family, but of course I can’t tell you what is in those packages or it will spoil the surprise. How about I just tell you what’s on my list this year? I have a very long list, so here are just a few.
Subscriptions to my favorite magazines, including Coastal Living and Elle Décor. Cant get enough of them.
Black leather and gold studded wrap bracelet. It is tough and ladylike at the same time. I’m getting one to punch up my work wardrobe.
Tweed Wool Fox hunting jacket- I’m new to the sport and want a really well-made tweed hunting jacket for those cool fall days on horseback. Don’t worry- nothing is killed when I hunt except a flask of whiskey!
Virginia Johnson gauze merino wool scarves- a new shipment of brand new prints arrived at our offices yesterday, and I’m coveting the blue seaweed print. Love it.
Bright white Vespa- I’ve wanted one for years but finally live in a place where I won’t get killed in traffic. I’d love to be zooming around town on one of these! Think of the gas mileage??
Matta silk and cotton pom pom scarves are flying out of our stock room as fast as we can gift wrap them this holiday. I must get one before they are gone- but which color??
Erno Laszlo skin care is absolutely addictive. Once you understand the clocking system (a little more confusing that it has to be) you skin will thank you.
Jonathan Adler sofa will look fantastic in my living room- but I must learn the self control to keep the dog off! Will it ever happen? I’m not so sure, but I have it on good authority that Jonathan lets his dog on his.
Turquoise and chocolate leather belt is a much more sophisticated take on the typical southwest turquoise. I’m hoping to have this to wear to my more casual holiday parties over a fitted blazer.
These Mystique coral, wood and rhinestone sandals are to die for in the softest suede imaginable. I think it’s worth planning a trip somewhere warm just so I can wear them asap.
celebrating the holidays...
december 31, 2008
Happy holidays from cerulean! It has been a pleasure being a part of so many memories-in-the-making this holiday season. As we wrapped each present and shipped it off to its recipient, we have no way to know the many stories that will be told and the memories made from all the gifts exchanged and the packages sitting on doorsteps. The beauty of the internet is that showing you care about the people you love is only a click away! We have enjoyed helping you celebrate this holiday with your loved ones!
As for my gift giving, rest assured that all the women in my life received lovely little items purchased overseas in foreign marketplaces, or from artists turned textile designers, or from the newest accessory designers. Everything under my tree is wrapped in the signature Cerulean turquoise tissue that always puts a smile on people’s faces around my house!
With a new year upon us, and thus the obligatory New Year’s Eve celebrations, I am already envisioning glistening clutches and sparkling accessories for a memorable night on the town. Click here to visit our how to wear section, where we outline the best accessories for any festive outfit this New Year’s Eve! I will be attending a Joie de Vivre- Night in
Parisbenefit at an art museum that promises to carry on until the early hours of the night while we dance amid sculptures and paintings galore to bands and DJs, one after the other. Never one to be underdressed, I have picked out the most fabulous Grecian column and am accessorizing it with long dangling Indian Earrings. Here’s to fireworks in the New Year!
New Year's Eve in Times Square- then and now...
But what are all our fabulous Cerulean customers and friends doing to ring in two-thousand nine??? One of our dearest customers is whiling away the hours in sunny
Key West at the Marquesa hotel, where I had one of the best dinners of my life several years back. Another friend and great Cerulean supporter is dancing the night away as we speak in some club in
Jordan- who knew? I just got a text message that the New Year has already rung in the
Middle East. Still others are in
New York, and
Santa Fe, and
Paris, and places closer to home.
ready for our closeup...
april 2008
When the call came in recently that some photographers wanted to shoot our offices for a magazine, I did what any girl would do- get in the chair of my favorite stylist for the entire afternoon of the shoot and get glammed as much as possible. While sitting there being pampered with glosses and conditioners, treatments of all kinds, I had a sort of flash back to a hair experience not quite so pleasant, and I had to share it.
A few years back, a friend and I were in
London on a girl’s trip full of shopping at Selfridge’s, perusing stacks of
Liberty fabrics, and usually a few too many Guinness’. One day over a lunch family style at Wagamama (amazing noodle bar- must try it), my friend mentioned that she had found the Vidal Sassoon Academy, where all the best students of hair learn their trade. The best news is you could get cuts from these geniuses-in-the-making for pennies. We made appointments for the following day.
While waiting for our appointments, they make you fill out a short questionnaire, similar to the one you fill out as a new patient in a doctors office, but instead of family medical history and past procedures, they want to know of past procedures of another kind: how often do you color your hair, how often do you get it cut, styled, by whom, how much, and on and on. I never knew my hair had such a history. The final question asked how much freedom you will give the Vidal Sassoon student when cutting your hair. Will you let them go wild? I, of course, said no way, while my friend replied, why not?
She was the wiser, here. By not being daring, I was stuck with the beginners of hair school, just now learning to trim and blow dry for the very first time. My darling dresser didn’t speak a word of English and took an hour and half to blow dry my hair. I think she must of done it one strand at a time. I ended up with the worst haircut of my life, and it took hours. The whole ordeal was more than I could bare, and I more or less told her to wrap it up and relieve me of this misery.
My friend, on the other hand, emerged stunningly similar to Gweneth Paltrow in Sliding Doors, with a short, bleach blond bob of phenomenal proportions. Her willingness to walk on the wild side landed her a spot in the advanced class, where stylists learned advanced tricks of the trade, and even some experienced stylists return for new tips.
The moral of this story, my dear friends, is not “be daring” or “walk on the wild side”. It’s to pay big money for hair styles from people with licenses. So there.
But back to our photoshoot… we pulled it together and were able to hide the usual clutter of shoe boxes, crates of accessories, bolts and fabric, and all the other fun but completely messy things that normally cover Cerulean’s headquarters, and convey a sense of order we seldom see. The only pictures we have at present are sans staff, but see below to get a feel for the place that gets our creative juices flowing, the place where we bring items from all over the world straight to you! Happy shopping!
click here to see older posts on our blogger site...
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