Letter From an Eternal Cynic – 7C

Dear 7C –

I thought I’d settled in for a quiet single hour flight.  I scoped out the perfect endcaps in an otherwise filling airplane – an elderly woman nearly falling asleep in her copy of Fifty Shades, and an off duty pilot.

And then you came along.

The plane was full.  And the pilot?  Well he was just along for the ride.

So you took his place.

And my peace.

Quite possibly my sanity.

Certainly my Bombay Sapphire up with two olives had settled in. But you had a baby.

Cute. But active.

And you?  I was never quite sure if we were experiencing turbulence or if you’d just let yourself drop back into your seat as if someone had simply cut your strings and let you loose like dead weight in a mob movie jostling me back to reality from whatever level of drowsy I’d managed to succumb.  And I’m sure you were attempting crude Morse code with your overhead light (though I’m assuming your wife ten rows back was enjoying her peaceful nap because she never did quite get the message) so wonderfully pointing in my direction.

And lest I forget, I’m a bit of a size queen.  So though you had wonderfully large, potentially delectable shoulders, and I’m sure you use them well, I prefer the full 17.25 inches allotted to me by Southwest.  There are just some places where an inch makes all the difference.

Yours Truly,

An Eternal Cynic

The Windy City …. Once again. Neocon 2012

Hello dear readers!

I figured I’d leave you a little note just in case you’re stopping by to see if there is anything new on the bloggie.  Well…. at about 6:45 this morning I’m on a plane to the World’s Trade Fair, otherwise known as Neocon! 

Yes yes, I’m off to the Windy City once again to bring back the best and worst of the industry.  I’m hoping for more orchids than onions but no guarantees. 

So if you notice it’s a little quiet round these parts for a few days, send out the search party because I may be stuck in the elevator between Floors 7 and 8 with 30,000 of my brethren.

Have a great weekend and look for our live tweets!

Brandon

Design in the ATL! GuyGirlTravel Dishes on Atlanta’s Hot Spots

Wednesday around these parts is like my sabbath if you haven’t already figured out.

Yes, I avoid doing a post myself like overbearing children avoid eating sugar-free food (or anything green… unless it’s Slime…  or boogers).  I can’t help it.  Let’s call it what it is and just move forward. I know you still love me regardless.

So anyway, I had the most recent pleasure, during this year’s Design Blogger’s Conference in Los Angeles, to meet the wonderful, lovely, talented, insanely beautiful (Claire… did I get in all the adjectives you wanted?) long lost sister.  Needless to say she’s decided to jump into the crazy world of blogging with her new blog A Guy and A Girl Travel the World.  Making you jealous?  Spend some time on her site and you’ll be committing at least two of the seven deadly sins. Lust?  Envy?  Heard of them?

Needless to say, I treat the DCoop Bloggie like a confessional (except for that Boudoir post. And the Kneepad post.  And the… nevermind) so what more could you expect from the Reverend Honorable Brandon then to hand over the orb and scepter to Claire and let her try her hand at making you commit those same sins here.

It’s OK.  I won’t make you say any Hail Marys. But please drop a dollar in the tithe bucket on the way out.

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Hello design lovers! I must start by saying that I am not a designer by trade, but I am fascinated by how the eye can look at a space and create something livable, functional and beautiful. As an artist, you are inspired by the life surrounding you whether in your own town or while traveling to another city. That’s where I come in! I love to travel and have been fortunate enough to do so. I recently returned from three amazing weeks in Thailand. (Edit: I told you she was going to make you jealous!)  It was my first trip to Asia and the minute we landed my senses were in overload. The vibrant colors in the meticulously placed tile on the temples, the smell of cooked chicken and burnt rice along the streets, the sound of a million scooters whizzing by in morning rush hour and the ebb and flow of emerald waters makes that every sense melt in its wake. These don’t even begin to touch what is available for the creative mind to draw from by venturing out into a new world.

But today, I am going to show you a little bit of my everyday world. If you love to travel and you love design, then put Atlanta on your list! This southern gem is the region’s go to design destination. We are home to interior masterminds Suzanne Kasler, Charles Neal, Brian Watford, Décor Demon creator Brian Patrick Flynn and Heery International. When you are in town, there are two major areas to find the best in furniture and accessories.

Buckhead

Huge homes, old money, great restaurants and the soon to be “Rodeo Drive” of the south all reside in the Buckhead area. Set inside the perimeter, it’s also where you will find Atlanta Decorative Arts Center.

If you are a designer and haven’t visited ADAC, book your ticket now! The site states “the ADAC campus consists of 550,000 square feet with 60 showrooms offering 1,200 of the industry’s finest product lines…” Having been there, I can tell you that this “campus” is more of a playground.  Eyes dance across the ceilings lined with luminous chandeliers, hands graze the rows of luxurious fabrics and you will find yourself saying ‘I want that and that and that and that.’ If the showroom hopping leaves you hungry, they have a little café called The Hungry Peach that serves up a delicious breakfast and lunch.

Want more fun? Boxwoods Gardens & Gifts Inc. brings outdoor and indoor delights. From the outside, this cottage store looks cute and quaint, but inside it is an antiques and garden mecca. With every turn of a corner there are little pieces of heaven.

Kathy over at Live the Fine Life wrote a lovely piece with great photos on her blog here. (edit: in case you were curious, Kathy is Claire’s awesomesauce mom!)

Another great spot to add to your list is the popular Miami Circle. Full of antiques, artists and more, this area is known for its fabulous selection of both new and old. It’s open to the public and trade six days a week (select few open on Sunday).

Shop for a bit, and then walk over to Eclipse di Luna for some tapas and sangria. Disclaimer: I am not responsible for your purchases after consuming the sangria. It goes down a little too easy and you may wakeup with buyer’s remorse.

West Midtown Design District

Knoll, Mary Bairstow Designs, SWITCH Modern and Masterpiece Lighting are just a few of the design spaces in this newly developed design district. This area is a true eat, work, live, play epicenter. Here are some must do and see places:

Stay:

Artmore Hotel: Renovated in a 1924 Spanish Mediterranean building, this boutique hotel brings southern hospitality with a modern twist to Midtown Atlanta. The courtyard and bar are a must for an afternoon Moscow Mule or Champagne cocktail.

Shop:

 

Savvy Snoot: Lovely consignment shop full of reasonably priced finds.

SWITCH Modern: Lots of thoughtfully constructed pieces in this store including Arne Jacobsen Egg Armchair.

Maison Atlanta: Furniture and accessories for every home and personal style.

Room & Board: This is always a great place to stop whether you are looking for something specific or just want to look. Make sure you seek out the sale section for pillows, art, rugs, etc.

Forsyth Fabrics: Wake up your senses in this fabric lover’s store. From the classic to the questionable, every style, color and type of fabric you could dream of is in this store. Hit their sale section too for some incredible deals.

 

Eat:

Abbatoir: A personal favorite of ours, this farm to table restaurant doesn’t waste a bit of anything in the kitchen. To start, order the Ceci peas with cumin salt (fried chickpeas) and the pommes frites with duck fat mayo. Then go crazy with the rest because everything is so good.

West Egg Café: Great for breakfast or brunch. Get there early if you don’t want to wait because they don’t take reservations.

Octane Coffee Bar & Lounge: Caffeine up for your shopping trip here. The coffee is wonderful and the french press serves up a good amount for a low price. If coffee isn’t your thing, then stop by in the afternoon for a cocktail.

Flip Burger Boutique: Top Chef winner Richard Blais has transformed your everyday burger here. For dessert, try my favorite burnt marshmallow nutella shake. You won’t regret it.

If you bring the family along with you, there are plenty of things to do to keep them busy while you comb through the design goodies. A CityPass is the most economical way to visit the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca Cola, Inside CNN Studio Tour, High Museum of Art and Zoo Atlanta for $49! Also, LEGOLAND Disovery Center just opened in Buckhead and will be a huge attraction for all ages.

Atlanta is a great city all around but if you can’t make it here, I encourage traveling anywhere. There is an amazing life waiting for you to discover, explore and inspire.

Thank you Brandon for letting me chat a bit about design in our little city. Contact me if you have questions or need recommendations @guygirltravel on Twitter!

Photos via:Portman Holdings, Live the Fine Life, Artmore Hotel, White Provisions, Revitalizing Places

D.Coop was not compensated for this post. Though Expedia may be making a little money.

Can I Carry Your Luggage to Paris? The Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs Exposition

So listen, I don’t normally beg or plead or get on my knees to get something I want.  Typically in the past I’ve presented a PowerPoint presentation listing the normally acceptable reasons as to why I should receive.  And then someone turns me down (usually Steve) and I have to go out and buy it myself. I don’t remember this being how marriage was supposed to work.

Does someone have the manual I can borrow?  What, you didn’t get one either? Well now we’re all screwed.

Anyway, like any other night after what was a ball busting yoga class, a great dinner and a piece of cake with a friend (seriously not all at the same time….) I found myself perusing Twitter, Google, Facebook, and Pinterest at the same time. This is typical of me.  I don’t think my computer is multi-tasking if there aren’t at least four tabs on my Firefox window.  Bonus points if there are two windows, both of which have completely illegible tabs because there are so many.  Serious bonus points if some of them have been there for three weeks.  Off track much? So Twitter (via my super friend Cassie with the awesome Parisian rental company CobbleStay) posted a little gem of the week which has led to my new want. No.  Wait. Need. Yes… it’s a need.

I don’t mean need like oxygen (because frankly who needs that) or water (because mine’s Evian) but one of those I’m going to die if I don’t get to do this so please let me do it but can someone else pay for it type of needs.  You people know what I mean so don’t judge.

As it would turn out, Les Art Décoratifs, a pretty damn cool museum in Paris, is hosting a little exposition that I like to equate to sex on the beach with twins. Twins you say?  Yes. Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacob.  Sure one’s been dead for quite some time (what… too soon?) and the other is gayer than a three dollar bill at a shoe sale (I’m gay too so get your panties out of a bunch).  But together… they channel Godliness and create some of the most interesting iterations of luxury the handbag world has seen in this generation.  Women – you know what I mean.  You b****es are lucky that it isn’t frowned upon for a guy to carry one because I’d have two. Suck on that.

I won’t bore you with details but the short is that for a few months LAD will be hosting a little grouping… from a trunk hand made by the Semi-God himself (one monsieur Vuitton) to some creations that will probably make most people believe that Marc Jacobs wasn’t sharing the good stuff with his buddies. LAD claims that the exposition will be an “analysis rather than a retrospective”.  Whatever… What I do know is that they’re setting up a LV pop up not far from the show so once you’re done drooling on the museum pieces you can head over and drool on the bags for sale.

I saw your ear perk on that note.

So….. Going to Paris?  Need help with your luggage? Babysitter? Shoe shiner? Assistant?  Scratch babysitter (even I have standards).  Let me know, I’m your man.

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Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacob

March 9th through September 16th, 2012

Les Arts Décoratifs – Mode et textile
107 rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris

www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr

Images via In LVoe with Louis Vuitton, Pursuitist,  Les Arts Décoratifs

D.Coop was not compensated for this post.

The Intrique of The Corners

Get Lost! So rude I know.  But you should know me be now.  Being polite never was my strongest trait. Oh well.

Anyway, I’ve found that I tend to get a little lazy on Wednesdays around these parts.  Maybe the midweek blues. Maybe I’m running low on my favorite Bourdeaux. Today, however, it is simply because I’ve been daydreaming.  I’m more or less staring the paint off of the wall behind my desk.  Earlier this week, talk amongst Twitter friends (or Tweeps as they’re so affectionately called) turned to Paris.  I’ve been a number of times but unlike many American tourists, I have my own way of experiencing the City of Lights.

For me, Paris has never been defined by the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre or Versailles or any of the well regarded, picture postcard locales so loved by many a visitor.  For me, the lure of Paris has always been in the corners. Sounds like a creepy science fiction movie but you’ll just have to skip over to Cassie’s blog CobbleStay if you want to see what I really mean.

Check out CobbleStay’s Parisian rental properties as well.  I promise you’ll spend your afternoon daydreaming as well.

Images copyright D.Coop and may not be used without permission.