more dos visits

: : love this photo from the new .dos visit.
Happy weekend!

wallpaper oasis

: : love these brilliantly styled photos for Swedish .Decor Maison. new wallpaper line .oas.
via .emma's blog.

NYC blackout 2003

: : the NYC blackout was 6 years ago today. I wonder how much we learned from it. we are still so incredibly dependent on electricity and oil. when will we change our habits?

but that day seemed magical. I almost wish I could have been there. as long as I wasn't stuck on a subway train. but seeing the city quiet, without lights, the streets flooded with people...must have been incredible and eyeopening.

photos from .here.

Aiguaclara

: : here are some more vacation photos, but this time, they're all from .hotel aiguaclara. in Begur, Spain. One of the most amazing hotels we've ever stayed at. Joan and Clara moved from Barcelona to Begur to settle down with their new family. They spent 9 years renovating a beautiful 5 story building in the center of Begur. The building has strong Cuban influences, and they tried to restore all the original detailing, including the beautiful colorful tile floors. Every detail in their hotel has been chosen with care, from the pebbles in the bathroom floor, to the chandeliers, to the collection of design furniture and details spread throughout the house. The rooms are cool, elegant, stylish and each very unique. I've never felt more welcomed at a hotel, .aiguaclara. truly feels like a home away from home. We spent hours lounging in the restaurant area, the reading room with a self serve bar, the downstairs lounge and their outdoor patio. It was the perfect place to stay and the perfect location.

Each day we'd pack our beach bags, Clara would stick an umbrella under our arm and make sure we had everything we needed, and then we'd be off. Setting out to explore a new beach every day, 6 beaches within 2 km of Begur. Back at the hotel at night, we'd stroll the 500 meters up to the town square and choose from one of the many great restaurants.

I would highly recommend a stay at hotel Aiguaclara! I hope these pictures have inspired you. There are also beautiful photos on their website of each room. .here.

click on images to view them larger

: : finally, here is the first batch of vacation photos. we spent a week going from one little seaside town to another along the north east coast of Spain, called Costa Brava. We saw Cadaques, Begur, Tamariu, Sa Riera and Sa Tuna. It was the most wonderful vacation! We must have made it there right before the summer rush, because none of the beaches or towns were crowded. We loved each place we went to. We weren't even able to pick a favorite because each place was special in it's own way. We wish we could have spent a week in each town. Above you see Tamariu, town of Begur, good beach reading and Sa Tuna beach.
above are photos of Cadaques, Tamariu, breakfast on the balcony at Sa Tuna Hotel, and lovely bougainvillea in Cadaques.

there will be more photos of both Spain and Sweden coming soon....
.click on images to see them larger.

monkey luv

: : this is our new friend, the monkey guy, in fact we have two. my grandmother passed away last summer, and she and my grandfather had so much style. they had all the latest design furniture and products when they were young. these wooden monkeys have become something of a design icon for Denmark, designed by Kay Bojesen. My grandmother had 3, I inherited 2. I love how playful they are and they have so much character. I spotted them in the window in these lovely photos by .sasa antic. (via emmas).
any suggestions for names for our 2 new friends?

summer garden party

: : these pictures of a summer social from .unruly things. and hot days in Boston right now make me want to throw a garden party. we had some friends over this past weekend on our newly decorated balcony (with new grill) and it was lots of fun. but a garden would be so lovely.