The spooky season is approaching.

August is practically near end and I have a feeling September will whiz by, which means my favorite season is almost here. Fall. With this means Halloween, chilly weather, and one of my favorite food items -- pumpkins. :) How good does this roasted pumpkin with cheese on toast look? Can't wait to make it. :)

Artsy CO2 Neutral Hotel (Guest Post by Sarah Dodds)

The Hotel Fox isn't just a pretty face. It's environmentally-conscious hotel model is a green stamp of approval in a city like Copenhagen, where pretty much everyone takes an active role in being green. And when I was in Copenhagen for a couple of days last month, there was no other hotel I would have rather stayed at. Every room is different, all with reclaimed and vintage furniture chosen by the artist who designed the room. My Tijuana-inspired room (first image) was designed by Venezuelan artist Masa. It was fun and bright - very Day of the Dead. :) And for those native Miamians, Friends With You, a Miami-based artist collective, also has a couple rooms.

Hurray for cool hotels being environmentally friendly!

(Thanks for sharing the post, Sarah! xo)

We're shooting After the Wedding!

Our director, Claudia, in front of the monitor, watching the actors in action. 

Miami humidity gave us a dreamy feel on this poolside morning. 

The view from our balcony (I could get use to this.)

As some of you may know, we've been prepping for our very first feature film, "After the Wedding." And after months of getting ready for it, we are finally in Miami shooting! We are on day six and so far we've been able to capture some truly great stuff. I cannot wait to see how it will all come together. Until we officially wrap production, we may have a few guest bloggers to help us out (thank you, Persis and Alyssa!). But you can also follow us on our After the Wedding blog where we'll be sharing day-to-day updates, including diaries from our actors. 

Stay tuned for more!

Fall Bloom

Image via MSGM

Just because the weather is changing doesn’t mean you need to trade-in your teal for tweed. Floral, painted prints and touches of whimsy are still in season and can easily be transitioned into fall. Pops of pastel that channel the 1960s are sprouting up all over. Pair with Karen Walker “Number One” sunnies and you’ll be walking on the bright side, even if the days are technically getting darker.

Image via The Magazine



Images via Fashion One 2012/Nasty Gal

Image via MSGM

Modernism in Guatemala City

                                     
                                      
                                      

So I think I just found my future summer home #wishfulthinking. And it happens to be in Guatemala, where our family is from, which would be a personal plus. :)

The home was designed by Alejandro Paz of PAZ Arquitectura and is located on a dense hillside forest in the Santa Rosalía area of Guatemala City.

"Corallo House integrates the existing forest into the layout of the house. It merges nature into the architectural intervention. The design process began with the aim to preserve the existing trees, in order to have the trees interact with the living space.

The floor plan is free of columns and the changes in level adapt to the existing topography. Both façades are mostly glass in order to connect the interior to the exterior. The main structural component is exposed concrete, which shows the rustic texture of the wood formwork, allowing a dialogue between the formal element and the textures of the forest."

Wow.

PS - did you know Guatemala just won their first Silver medal in the Olympics? :)

VIVA COLOMBIA!

While my dear friends Lisa, Karina and Claudia are in Miami shooting After The Wedding, they asked me to share some of my experiences traveling in Colombia last month...

Cabo San Juan - Tayrona National Park

Our recent trip there was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Over the course of two weeks, my boyfriend Ryan and I traveled from the stunning Andean city of Bogotá through Colombia's spectacular Caribbean coast. We spent four magical days in sweltering Cartagena, cooled off in the crystalline waters of Playa Blanca on Isla Baru, and headed on to the sleepy fishing village of Taganga. From there, we spent three days camping amidst the otherworldly beauty of Tayrona National Park, and settled in the cool mountain village of Minca, perched high in the Sierra Nevada, for our final days. 

Mojarra Frita at El Cocoroco, Cartagena

Ryan and I are definitely culinary travelers -- our best moments together always involve some type of transcendental food experience. The meal we had at El Cocoroco in Cartagena––a no frills worker's cantina in the vibrant neighborhood of Getsemani– was simple, fresh, incredible. We ordered the pescado frito -- a deep-fried mojarra aguadulce (fresh-water tilapia) with a simple side of patacones (smashed plantains) and arroz con frijoles. The ambience made our experience feel unpretentious and authentic; we shared our table with locals devouring sopa de pescado and even drew a few laughs from our fellow patrons as we ooh-ed and ahh-ed over what most colombianos consider a very typical meal!

Street food in Plaza Bolivar, Bogota

Colombia is home to various types of indigenous tropical fruit rarely found anywhere else in the world. Breakfast consisted of fresh lulo, maracuya and guanabana juice and every afternoon, without fail, we devoured helados artesenales made from local grenadilla, zapote and mamoncillo. Cartagena is full of vendors wheeling their colorful carts through the streets -- overflowing with luscious avocados, pineapples and mangoes to more the exotic tomate de arbol and uchuva. Ryan and I are serious aficionados of hand-painted signs.. Colombia's fruit carts are often lovingly painted and adorned with religious adages. Our favorite: Proprietario = Dios (Owner = God).

Gorgeous facades dripping with flora in Cartagena

In contrast to the physical beauty of the country, we relished in Colombia's fantastic colonial architecture. La Candelaria, the old city of Bogotá, is both the cultural and historic center of the city and a labyrinth of winding streets and alleys, peppered with amazing street art and murals. La Plaza de Bolivar is Bogotá's main square and political heart, it is also the site of some mouth-watering street food. We feasted on chocolate con queso at the famous cafe La Puerta Falsa, indulged in obleas filled with dulce de leche from a local street vendor in front of the cathedral and snacked on artery-clogging super-perros (hot dogs on steroids!). In Cartagena, we fell in love with the historic Spanish mansions dripping with bougainvillea, the decaying covered balconies, hidden garden patios and gorgeous ironwork. It isn't hard to see why this languorous city inspired Garcia Marquez's classic Love in the Time of Cholera... its charm is magical and overwhelming. 

Plaza San Pedro, Cartagena

Relaxing on the beach in Tayrona National Park

Our favorite jaunt was the three days we spent camping in Tayrona National Park. After a grueling 3.5 hour hike through jungle and beach (which despite the blistering heat, afforded us some astounding views of rugged coastline and desolate beaches), we arrived exhausted in beautiful Cabo San Juan. We pitched our tent and spent the next several days swimming, reading, and sunbathing on an ethereal beach. And at night -- no creature comforts, no distractions -- just bedtime filled with the sound of crashing waves, crickets, braying donkeys and the occasional falling coconut.

Watching picaflores (hummingbirds) in Minca

After spending a week on the coast, we decided to escape the heat and travel up to a tiny mountain village called Minca. Only 45 minutes from Colombia's second largest city, it felt like we were a world away. From our treehouse at Hostal Casa Loma, we had breathtaking views of the Sierra Nevada, the city lights of Santa Marta, and the glimmering Caribbean Sea. This part of the Sierra Nevadas (the tallest coastal mountain range in the world) is ecologically diverse and home to over 260 bird species. We were told to keep an eye out for the elusive toucan -- and while we weren't lucky enough to catch sight of one, we did see plenty of picaflores -- hummingbirds!

A view of La Finca Victoria, organic coffee farm outside of Minca

Me & Jorge, the "jefe" of La Finca Victoria

The people make the place...and we met the most incredible folks throughout our trip. A final highlight before our return to New York was our visit to La Finca Victoria, an organic coffee plantation in the Sierra Nevada. Ryan and I took a moto-taxi through torrential downpour to the farm and were greeted by the most darling man Jorge, el jefe/operador of the plantation for the past 30 years. He gave us an impromptu tour of the finca's antique hydraulic machinery - made in England in the mid-19th century and still in impeccable shape. While we waited for the downpour to subside, he recounted the unique history of the German-owned farm and his own experiences with Colombia's troubled past. Beneath an ostensible paradise are stories of competing alliances and senseless violence committed at the hands of both paramilitaries and guerrillas since the armed conflict began in the early '60s. According to many locals we spoke with, only in the past decade has Colombia seen relative peace, allowing for the stigma to slowly lift.

Dirt roads and sunsets in the fishing village Taganga

Writing this post gave me a chance to reflect on the amazing experiences we shared there. And while Jordan, Lebanon and Japan are on my travel list for next year, I'm already planning the next time we can head back!

Our last night in Tayrona National Park

The girl who loves to levitate.

I love this series by Japanese artist Natsumi Hayashi. She flys through the Toyko landscape and never touches the ground (all the while having cute style)! 

“First, I get a composition and a focus manually. Then I press the shutter release, run to the right position for a levitation as I check the camera's blinking red LED counting down 10 seconds and jump by my intuition. In this manner, I need to jump over and over to get the right shot.” -Natsumi Hayashi

What a cool idea, right?  She masters it perfectly. Check out more of her eye-catching photos here!

Yes, please! Rice bowls.

        

 

I love ordering rice bowls. They're filling, healthy (if chosen wisely), and overall incredibly delicious. My favorite rice bowls are the ones topped with a poached egg in a hot stone bowl, which most authentic Korean restaurants list on their menu. But what an idea to make them at home! Especially if you're cooking for one. Just a few of your favorite toppings, steamed rice, egg, and some dried seaweed -- and voila! A delicious homemade rice bowl. 

I want to try all of these recipes via The Kitchn. Just writing this post is making me hungry. :)

(photos via The Kitchn and 101 Cookbooks)

New obsession: Sanita shoes

My friend Magaly visited us this weekend from Rhode Island, and when she arrived, I could not stop obsessing over her shoes (she had the middle ones.) Not only were they adorable, but she wore them to walk everywhere, which meant they were comfortable too (she confirmed:) Before seeing her pair, I had not heard of the brand Sanita. Their website isn't the best indication of how cool their shoes are since they mostly cater to chefs! But if you do a little digging, you can find a few jems like the ones pictured. Itching to get the first pair! 

If you use the Google shopping tool, you can weed out the good finds. :)

Piggy bank for grownups .

Believe it or not, but I've used the tactic of an at home piggy bank for little splurges here and there. And it actually works! There's something about seeing the change build up that makes you appreciate the spending so much more than swiping a credit card. I haven't been as fancy in the past (we usually put change into something homemade, like a mason jar) but how cute would this little piggy be for money saving?

You can take him home from here. :)

(photo via Areaware)

Have you heard of The Fancy?

I just came across this interesting article on a new company called The Fancy, an e-commerce website that is an archrival of Pinterest. There's so much faith in this company that Apple wants to buy them. 

Any experience with it? Would love to know. 

(images via The Fancy)