Love it.

HERE.

One thing I love about Grant (other than his gorgeous apartment) is that as a blogger, he has a very unique way of name-dropping designers and general designerati without sounding like a self-aggrandizing turd. That makes it a pleasure to live vicariously through his adventures. Plus he's always so happy.

I would be too if my place looked as finished and pretty as his. So go see his place as featured in the New York Times, k?

The Gays.

I can't decide which part of THIS article is more shocking - - that 12,500 service members have been discharged from US military since 1993 just for being gay or lesbian... or that the Secretary of Defense sponsors a National Security Essay competition. Seriously, an essay competition. Who knew?

At least this feels like progress. Hopefully. Maybe.

Top 3 Bed and Breakfasts in Belize - Belize Jungle Dome

Are you planning your trip to Belize?

The Belize Jungle Dome and our Adventure Travel Company (www.greendragonbelize.com) are rated highly by our guests and we thank those that have reviewed their stays on Trip Advisor.

• Offering 62 reviews of Belize Jungle Dome in Belmopan

We are not quite a Bed and Breakfast, not quite a hotel, and not quite a resort. What are we? A friendly, small company, that offers first class service at a great Jungle Lodge.

Visit us on the web for more information :

www.belizejungledome.com

Maybe we see you soon in Belize.

Moody kitchen.

Richard emailed me yesterday to tell me about this kitchen that he fell in love with:


He says: "It's by a Milanese design firm called Dimore. They're a gay couple, Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci, who own it together, and it's the kitchen of their residence. I looked online and found some pics, but none do it justice.

It's just this incredibly dramatic space. One rarely refers to a kitchen as moody, but this one is. The mix of antique and modern, girly and masculine, sleek and shabby, is absolutely masterful."

I agree. It doesn't even look like a kitchen, which makes it more interesting. Thoughts?

I finally decided on a light for my kitchen.

Ha! Just kidding. Like I have made a decision... it's only been since, I dunno, March.

Anyhoo, Heather B sent this to me, and I love her for it. It's true Decorno.

I love Margarita(s)!

Oh, Margarita. She cleaned the house. It smells like almond oil and lemons and little kittens and happiness and joy! It's clean here. For the first time.

This is liberation! (White, middle class liberation, but still...) I am already trying to figure out how much to pay her for a Christmas bonus.

If she's going to give me shit for living in squalor and if she's going to make me clean out my own trash can, I get to make her wear the Zoila outfit, right?


(And Sketch42, I didn't know they made little bags to fit my garbage can. I swear! But I am going to go find them right now...)

Old good things.

This is great. HERE.


“My father, before he died, told me, ‘I can’t stop these dreams — I keep seeing all the people I missed on the route,’ ” Mr. Backerman said.

...Mr. Beberman does not advertise, and his business is not listed in the telephone directory. The sight of his truck alone brings in more requests than he can handle, he said.

Still, the truck has its limitations. The rattling cases are so precariously perched that he will not risk driving over the Brooklyn Bridge to expand into Manhattan.

Mr. Beberman is choosy about whom he entrusts with his expensive bottles, many of which were hand-blown by Czech and Austrian makers before World War II. Each bottle holds 26 ounces. His customers must be serious about their seltzer and accept his rules. He refuses to carry cases up flights of stairs anymore. There are no half-case options. You order seltzer, you pay for 10 bottles. If you pay late, you do not get seltzer.

Girl cave.

She's totally right about this. These are perfect reality-TV-reading chairs.

THIS is awesome. Mom looks like maybe a former goth, too, but now that she has money, she can buy Jil Sander and Rick Owens.

Is anyone watching Hung on HBO? These kids remind me of his kids. I love them. Especially the boy who is becoming gothier by the minute.

Pass the black nailpolish and put Siouxsie on repeat, bitches!


Oh, and THIS is not to be missed! Turn your headphones up.


(P.S. How much do you love the genuine smiles on the Obamas faces? You know Michelle is loving the combat boots.)

The accountants of Cleaning.

So, we are finally hiring someone to clean our house. She speaks Spanish and I don't, sadly, so I just used Google translator to type up something to help me explain what I would like her to do and what she can ignore, and Google whipped up a nice chunk of Spanish to help me explain.

But then I thought, “What if Google translator is crap?” So, I popped the Google Spanish translation into Yahoo’s translation tool and this is what I got:



Hello! I have used an Internet translator to help to write this so that I could do a better work to explain, since nothing spoke of Spanish I feel (it). Here I am the type of work would like to do: Kitchen: The accountants of Cleaning (the marble scratches very easily, so please he has well-taken care of) He cleans the cabinets He cleans to the refrigerator every two weeks To sweep/to trapear the floor He cleans the windows To clean the windows To eliminate the dust and the spiderwebs of the ceiling Of emptiness of the blue chair (the dog and is used east hair in him) Bathroom: Mop floors It cleans and it disinfects the toilet and the washbasin Cleaning of the mirror To clean the bathtub The tiles of the bath are terrible. Sometimes they fall (that glides to remodelar the bathroom of the next year), so if that happens, one does not worry. We can fix it. Room, dining room, recibidor, office and room of television: To sweep/RP Dust It cleans the windows It inhales the carpet of cow skin Of emptiness of the sofa (the hair of dog in her is put) In the future it would like, us that to the emptiness and the dust of the floor of above also, but at the moment it is not necessary because is a disaster and we are on the verge of making some renovations. In the future, it wishes also, it can change it the bed clothes, but that are not necessary now. Not even necessity to raise until we make the remodeling. How it would like that it was pleased? Money in cash or check? In order to do this work every two weeks - How much it will cost? In order to do this work to the week - how much it will cost?

Oh, Everett.

HERE.

Oh, Microsoft.

Is this even real? It hurts me so much to watch this.

This makeover, yes or no?

HERE.

Does this mean people trying to conceive should be required to screw in the public square?

Oh, youth.

I am coming out.

As a fan of Khloe Kardashian.

Are you happy?

“Across the happiness data, the one thing in life that will make you less happy is having children,” said Betsey Stevenson, an assistant professor at Wharton who co-wrote a paper called “The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness.” “It’s true whether you’re wealthy or poor, if you have kids late or kids early. Yet I know very few people who would tell me they wish they hadn’t had kids or who would tell me they feel their kids were the destroyer of their happiness.”

Normally I ignore Maureen Dowd, but this caught my attention. You can read her essay HERE. I figure you will want to, so that you can comment.

Discuss.





BLUE IS THE NEW BLACK

Women are getting unhappier, I told my friend Carl.

“How can you tell?” he deadpanned. “It’s always been whine-whine-whine.”

Why are we sadder? I persisted.

“Because you care,” he replied with a mock sneer. “You have feelings.”

Oh, that.

In the early ’70s, breaking out of the domestic cocoon, leaving their mothers’ circumscribed lives behind, young women felt exhilarated and bold.

But the more women have achieved, the more they seem aggrieved. Did the feminist revolution end up benefiting men more than women?

According to the General Social Survey, which has tracked Americans’ mood since 1972, and five other major studies around the world, women are getting gloomier and men are getting happier.

Before the ’70s, there was a gender gap in America in which women felt greater well-being. Now there’s a gender gap in which men feel better about their lives.

As Arianna Huffington points out in a blog post headlined “The Sad, Shocking Truth About How Women Are Feeling”: “It doesn’t matter what their marital status is, how much money they make, whether or not they have children, their ethnic background, or the country they live in. Women around the world are in a funk.”

(The one exception is black women in America, who are a bit happier than they were in 1972, but still not as happy as black men.)

Marcus Buckingham, a former Gallup researcher who has a new book out called “Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently,” says that men and women passed each other midpoint on the graph of life.

“Though women begin their lives more fulfilled than men, as they age, they gradually become less happy,” Buckingham writes in his new blog on The Huffington Post, pointing out that this darker view covers feelings about marriage, money and material goods. “Men, in contrast, get happier as they get older.”

Buckingham and other experts dispute the idea that the variance in happiness is caused by women carrying a bigger burden of work at home, the “second shift.” They say that while women still do more cooking, cleaning and child-caring, the trend lines are moving toward more parity, which should make them less stressed.

When women stepped into male- dominated realms, they put more demands — and stress — on themselves. If they once judged themselves on looks, kids, hubbies, gardens and dinner parties, now they judge themselves on looks, kids, hubbies, gardens, dinner parties — and grad school, work, office deadlines and meshing a two-career marriage.

“Choice is inherently stressful,” Buckingham said in an interview. “And women are being driven to distraction.”

One area of extreme distraction is kids. “Across the happiness data, the one thing in life that will make you less happy is having children,” said Betsey Stevenson, an assistant professor at Wharton who co-wrote a paper called “The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness.” “It’s true whether you’re wealthy or poor, if you have kids late or kids early. Yet I know very few people who would tell me they wish they hadn’t had kids or who would tell me they feel their kids were the destroyer of their happiness.”
The more important things that are crowded into their lives, the less attention women are able to give to each thing.

Add this to the fact that women are hormonally more complicated and biologically more vulnerable. Women are much harder on themselves than men.

They tend to attach to other people more strongly, beat themselves up more when they lose attachments, take things more personally at work and pop far more antidepressants.

“Women have lives that become increasingly empty,” Buckingham said. “They’re doing more and feeling less.”

Another daunting thing: America is more youth and looks obsessed than ever, with an array of expensive cosmetic procedures that allow women to be their own Frankenstein Barbies.

Men can age in an attractive way while women are expected to replicate — and Restylane — their 20s into their 60s.

Buckingham says that greater prosperity has made men happier. And they are also relieved of bearing sole responsibility for their family finances, and no longer have the pressure of having women totally dependent on them.

Men also tend to fare better romantically as time wears on. There are more widows than widowers, and men have an easier time getting younger mates.
Stevenson looks on the bright side of the dark trend, suggesting that happiness is beside the point. We’re happy to have our newfound abundance of choices, she said, even if those choices end up making us unhappier.

A paradox, indeed.

When is it inspiration vs. theft of design?

The recent sofa chronicles on this blog are fascinating. It has stirred up all kinds of middle class striver anxiety about "authenticity".

The debate seems to be that a guy here in Seattle will make a sofa from any photo you bring him. Custom work. A few commenters think he's just a rip off artist. Maybe he is, but is that bad? And how much ripping-off can one really do of Restoration Hardware when their own designs aren't that original?

On the rip-off artist charge, does this mean if I tear out a Stephen Gambrel room as inspiration while decorating that I need to send him a royalty check? Are the same people who are pissed at the Seattle couch guy mad as hell at Madeline Weinrib for boosting the prints of Uzbekistan for her own personal gain? Let the riots begin. (Someone lock down ABC Carpet and Home, stat.)


A commenter asked:

Do you think it's all right for Restoration Hardware to rip off this Edouard Bouquet lamp:
HERE

And sell its own virtually identical version as the "Counterpoise Single-Arm Task Table Lamp":
HERE


Is there a line? And where won't you cross it? Or are there no original ideas left in lamps, sofas, pillows, etc. Discuss.

Belize Video - Lonelyplanet.tv

Produced by Tim G. Oliphant for Lonelyplanet.tv

If you are looking for a Belize Adventure, visit Green Dragon Adventure Travel for help, advice and booking of an adventure of a lifetime. Tikal, Cave Tubing, Zip Lining, Temples, Scuba Diving and much more in our action packed vacations.

Facebook from Green Dragon Adventure Travel and the Belize Jungle Dome

Green Dragon Adventure Travel and the Belize Jungle Dome

Promote Your Page Too

I was too lazy to post about the new "look" at Restoration Hardware...

... when the new catalog arrived a few weeks ago.



But hey - - it looks like I don't have to since you can read about it HERE.

I will say that as soon as I saw all the huge linen-covered furniture and the limed wood I thought, "Bummer for Axel Vervoordt. Your time is up."

The whole catalog is a sea of brown. Ick.

If you enjoyed the 100+ comments on the sofa post a while ago...

You should read all of THIS. Grab your wine (boozer) and your laptop, and enjoy.

I didn't know all of this about Restoration Hardware. And I love the condo story.

A snippet:

On June 18, 2008 Restoration Hardware was de-listed from the NASDAQ and ceased to be a publicly traded company. They were bought by Catterton Partners, a private equity firm specializing in “middle market consumer companies.” They also own:

Outback Steakhouse
Archway
Breyers
Van’s

among many others.

Their “realized investments” (which I take to mean companies they bought, squeezed every drop of potential profitability from, then sold) include:

Build-A-Bear
PF Chang’s
Odwalla
Case Logic
Frederic Fekkai
Wellness Pet Foods

among others.

Shake that thing & misc notes.

I didn't know that orthodox Jews (men, anyway) can't shake hands with women. I learned that the other day. I wasn't offended but it is weird to have this cultural moment where someone refused to touch me. I was untouchable. Hm.

On the other hand, I hate hugging, so can we try to make that a religious thing? That is my new deal. Hugging is against my religion. So are air kisses. So quit with your affection because you are violating my, like, spirituality and stuff.

In other news, I'm so glad it's fall. It smells like smoke and fires and pine trees and juniper and fog. Ok, I know fog doesn't smell, but you know what I mean. I love that.

Oh - I have a new word. Are you ready for it? Momnesia. It's when you get super excited to hang out with your mom for a long weekend and your better half reminds you that after 3 days you typically want to kill each other so why they hell are you getting so excited about your upcoming weekend on Orcas Island? Yeah. I have a mad case of momnesia. That's ok. I am excited for that adventure.

That's all I've got. I have the day off tomorrow. I love having a work day off. You can actually get practical shit done like getting new glasses, waxing your pikachu, getting some alterations done... that sort of thing. Oh you stay-at-homies. The Decorno is jealous of you bitches. So very jealous.

Perfection at 1:36.

All Esther Williams style. HERE.

Belize Trip Reviews from the Jungle Dome

We are headed out to the Black Hole Drop overnight cave adventure soon so we have to write quickly!

The Jungle Dome has been amazing to us. Honeymoon flowers when we arrived (all fresh from around the jungle dome and beautiful!) and a great staff. David was a friend as soon as he picked us up from the airport, Karen has been extremely helpful with our tour and travel arrangements and we cannot say enough about the food!!! It was fantastic and the meal presentation was always impeccable.

We did a 2 hour horseback ride the day we arrived which was nice but very strenuous for two people who hadn’t ridden in several years and who had just gotten off the plane!

The ATM cave trip was very very cool. Very adventurous and crazy but we were kept safe and having a fun time – that was a once in a lifetime experience.

We had a wonderful time and can’t wait to recommend The Jungle Dome to friends!

TJ & Jessica Lee
Asheville, North Caroline, USA

June 9th 2009

---

Like so many people before us, we don’t even know where to start ….everything was so fantastic, especially the people. The uniqueness of the Dome, the staff and the adventures were way beyond our expectations. Each trip holds special memories that we will never forget. The beauty of the grounds is inspiring, you have done such a fantastic job transforming this place into a paradise. There is not a single thing we would change about this trip! It was just the perfect mixture of adventure and relaxation, not to mention the delicious food that provided us with the energy to do all these day trips! We have certainly fallen in love with Belize and the Jungle Dome and hope to visit again.

Emily & Kevin Samuel
Moosonee, Ontario, CANADA

July 2009

---

What a wonderful trip! From the dogs and cat to the wonderful and friendly staff, I instantly felt at home.

I came here looking forward to experiencing the zip line and Black Hole Drop but found the ATM cave to be the most thrilling. The day trip to Tikal was great..I am so glad I made that trip. Thank you all for making my trip to Belize so care-free and comfortable.

Susana Nicoletto
Midford, Orlando, USA

June 18, 2009

---

The villa was a beautiful home for our family of six. I especially loved the little touches – the tiny bed & kiddie dishes for my little one and she loved them too. Delicious food, great advice and a successful night walk. Trips to canoe, cave tube, beach and Tikal were all great.

Thanks so much
The Concannon Family
Chicago, USA

Jun 20, 2009

---

Dear Karen & David

Thank you so much for making our stay at the Jungle Dome so wonderful. We felt at home almost immediately! The boys will always remember Belize, our wonderful trips and evening poker games by the pool. Our days here flew by too quickly. Please compliment the staff on the excellent meals and beautiful housekeeping and grounds.

Some of our favourite adventures….Black Hole Drop, Cave Tubing, ATM and the magnificent Xunantunich ruins. We will have wonderful memories of Belize and the Jungle Dome Villa.

The Robinsons
New Jersey, USA

Aug 15, 2009

---

Visit us on the web here : http://www.belizejungledome.com

New books.

It's almost Christmas (Think about it. I kinda almost really is.) and you know what that means: publishers think this is when they will get you to spend $50 on some coffee table fantasy. And a lot of us will, so here's your roundup:



Italian Touch I am dying to get this. Rumor has it that Anna Dello Russo's house is featured. Fashion people have sexier homes than interior design people, so that should be fun to flip through.






Miss Elle Decor's new book, Style and Substance. When is Elle Decor bad? Never. So this should be pretty god as long as there aren't too many re-runs of stuff we have already seen in the magazine. (What are the odds? Slim, I imagine.)





THIS one seems like a mash note to socialites no one cares about anymore now that people realized they bought their houses with fake money, etc etc. I am a big "no" on this one, but it's the follow-up to last year's 20-pound Hamish Bowles celebration of lives you and I will never, ever, ever have, and, well, since it's my duty to report this kind of style/design stuff to you, here it is. If you want smug Tom & Giselle staring at you on your bookshelf, that's your business.



HueWill you be buying it?





And if Kelly's blast from the 80s past is too much for you (or me), you could get THIS. Kasler's work is the visual equivalent of realizing you still have two more Vicodin pills from your recent injury, taking the day off of work, washing one of them down with a glass of red wine and napping leisurely in the afternoon. Or something like that. And I mean that in the best way.

I kind guess that's it. Have I missed any worth writing about here?

HERE.

Hey look, it's also on Tumblr... just in case you don't want to totally douche out by reading it on Twitter.

Belize Slideshow - Scott and Jennie Gordon - Virginia, USA - September 2009

Thanks to Scott and Jennie for making this slideshow of their trip to Belize and stay at the Belize Jungle Dome.

A show to Tivo, for sure.

Did you see THIS tidbit?

"Possibly from Tacoma"

...will be the name of my future rock band.

THIS is very good reading for Seattle people.



The photo has nothing to do with it. I just like her gold shades.

Vacation photos.

I finally uploaded my vacation photos. I don't plan on posting any because, well, I am all vacationed out. Except for this one. This is the water near Capri.

I couldn't believe it. So amazing.

Font.

That font. I love it. I want to open a store or restaurant just to use it on the signs or the menus or whatever.

If you read the "last $100/sofa" post...

you need to go back for MORE in the comments section. CouchSeattle responds.

How do you know when a room is overdone?

Women are told, "Remove one piece of jewelry before you leave the house" to keep from looking over-accessorized. Is there a similar rule for rooms?

Photo from Dovecote. I must say, it's not really fair for me to use a showroom photo because home stores are ALWAYS overdone.

What was your best bargain?

I have a $30 dresser that is all paint-peeled and a little wobbly. Maybe more than a little wobbly, actually. One of these days when I yank a pair of fuzzy socks out of that top drawer, I am pretty sure the whole thing wild fall over, exposed nails threatening tetanus, I am sure.

But it's cute and it does the job. And a fancy-ass new version wouldn't work in this old room. I think it was a great find.

What was your best bargain? What is it, where did you find it, and why does it make your room? (Or, simply make you happy?) Where did you find it? What did you pay? Were you on the hunt or was it just serendipity?


I would love to credit the photo above. Please leave info in the comments if you can help me identify.

Grand Metropark Hotel Hangzhou

The InterContinental Hotels in Dubai Festival City are set to open soon, and are looking to recruit qualified hotel professionals in various supervisory and managerial roles. If you know anyone who’d be interested, please feel free to pass on this information. While many more positions are still open, the main key positions include:

1. Front Office Manager - Crowne Plaza - Arabic speakers preferred, must have Crowne Plaza experience
2. Assistant Chief Engineer - InterContinental / Crowne Plaza/ICRS
3. Food & Beverage Manager InterContinental / Crowne Plaza / Arabic speakers preferred
4. Front Desk Managers - Crowne Plaza
5. Reception Supervisor - Crowne Plaza
6. Assistant Spa Manager - Arabic speakers preferred
7. Restaurant Manager - Crowne Plaza Belgian Café / Belgian national preferred
8. Outlet Chef - CP - Belgian Café / Belgian national preferred
9. Assistant Front Office Manager - Crowne Plaza / Must have Crowne Plaza experience
10. Pool & Health Club Supervisor and Manager - InterContinental / Crowne Plaza

Hotel Highlights

InterContinental Dubai Festival City is scheduled to open late summer of 2007. Bathrooms feature panoramic views. Rooms will be equipped with high speed internet access, plasma TVs, CD, DVD & VCD. Meeting facilities include an impressive 3,800 sqm. Event Centre across two levels and 8 break-out rooms for smaller functions or meetings.

Villa Aminta Hotel ( Lago Maggiore )

The beautiful Villa e Palazzo Aminta, a member of The Leading Small Hotels of the World group, has been tastefully renovated throughout and is positioned above the lakeside road only 1km away from Stresa. Once the glorious private residence of Francesco Capece, the Admiral of the Italian Navy, the villa was named after his wife Aminta. Since 2000, the Zanetta family has been carefully restoring this property to return it to its former glory combined with the luxury of a 5* deluxe hotel. Each guestroom features hand-painted frescoes and antique furniture, and Hotel Villa e Palazzo Aminta's lounge and large terrace have enchanting views out to the lake and the Borromean Islands. When you are not exploring the various attractions of Lake Maggiore, you can spend those long, leisurely days relaxing by the outdoor swimming pool. Lunch or dinner can be taken in its elegant Restaurant Le Isole, which overlooks the lake.

Grand Mercure Teda Dalian

With its top-quality facilities, free internet access and cheap prices, this elegant and beautiful hotel offers its guests great value for money and modern conveniences.

205 Zhongnan Road Zhongshan District Liaoning Province , Dalian

Dubai Creek Hotel

Rooms

The 11-storey Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers features 262 guestrooms, all of which are decorated with sumptuous fabrics and offer Dubai Creek or city views. All rooms have air conditioning, CD and DVD players, satellite television, safes, minibars, and Internet connections.

Room Amenities

• Internet access - high speed
• Premium TV channel(s)
• VCR
• Cable/satellite TV
• CD player
• Cassette player
• Premium bedding
• Complimentary newspaper
• Air conditioning
• Blackout drapes/curtains
• Internet access - surcharge
• Telephone
• Fax machine
• Voice mail
• Bottled water in room (complimentary)
• Minibar
• Coffee/tea maker
• Wake-up calls
• Housekeeping
• Turndown service
• Bathroom telephone
• Bathrobes
• Complimentary toiletries
• Hair dryer
• Makeup mirror
• Sewing kit
• Slippers
• Bidet
• Bathtub only
• Bathroom scale
• Shower/tub combination
• Extra towels/bedding in room
• Child care (in room, surcharge)
• Electronic check-out
• Electronic/magnetic keys
• In-room safe
• Welcome amenities
• Trouser press
• Iron/ironing board (on request)
• Clock radio
• Desk
• Rollaway beds
• Cribs (infant beds) available
• Smoking rooms

Recreation

The Creek Health Club houses a fully-equipped gymnasium, a sauna, steam room and massage treatment area. Outdoors, there is a swimming pool with adjustable temperature, a children’s pool, and a floodlit tennis court. Dubai Creek Yacht & Golf Club is two kilometres away.

Property Amenities

Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers' business guests enjoy use of the Executive Conference Centre which offers six rooms with ergonomically designed chairs and modular tables for seminars and business functions of up to 500 delegates; there is also an opulent ballroom for social functions. The business centre offers three PC workstations with colour printer, fax and Internet facilities. Guests can pamper themselves in the beauty salon and buy gifts in the jewellery boutique. Parking is complimentary in the hotel’s garage.Swimming pool - outdoor

• Swimming pool - children's
• Massage - treatment room(s)
• Steam room
• Sauna
• Concierge desk
• Complimentary newspapers in lobby
• Health club
• Fitness equipment
• Bar/lounge
• Breakfast available (surcharge)
• Room service (24 hours)
• Coffee shop or café
• Parking (free)
• Limo or Town Car service available
• Parking (valet)
• Parking (secure)
• Meeting rooms (small groups)
• Conference room(s)
• Event catering
• Ballroom(s)
• Banquet facilities
• Business center
• Exhibit space
• Internet access in public areas - surcharge
• Internet access in public areas - high speed
• Floor butler
• Safe-deposit box - front desk
• Multilingual staff
• Porter/bellhop
• Doorman/doorwoman
• Security guard
• 24-hour front desk
• Beauty services
• Medical assistance available
• Tour assistance
• Currency exchange
• Gift shops or newsstand
• Hair salon
• Babysitting or child care
• Laundry facilities
• Dry cleaning service
• Shoe shine
• Concierge services
• Elevator/lift
• Air-conditioned public areas
• Restaurant(s) in hotel
• Suitable for children
• Wedding services
• Airport transportation (surcharge)

Dining

Ashiana - North Indian cuisine, specialising in curries and Tandoori dishes, in a relaxed setting decorated with Indian murals and objets d’art and enlivened by live music and entertainment. Open for lunch Saturday to Thursday, and for dinner daily.

Vivaldi - Italian dishes served in an informal Mediterranean-themed setting overlooking the Dubai Creek, with an adjacent bar and two outdoor terraces. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

Creekside - Japanese flavours such as Miso Soup and Tempura served in an Oriental setting with a live sushi bar and teppanyaki table.

Chelsea Arms Pub - Traditional English pub serving snacks and refreshments in a lively, sociable setting.

Address

Banivas Street

Po Box 4250

Dubai,

United Arab Emirates

Nearest major airport:

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DXB-Dubai Intl.)

Area:

Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Sofitel Dongguan Royal Lagoon

Sofitel Royal Lagoon Dongguan is refreshingly situated next to Hu Ying Park gardens, within easy reach of the city in the heart of the economic powerhouse of the Pearl River Delta.

8 Yin Bin Road, Dong Cheng District, Dongguan City , Dongguan

Rosewood Mansion

The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

The hotel: Once a private residence of Texas cotton magnate, Sheppard King, this early 20th century European Renaissance style building is more of an extravagant house than a hotel. It is famous for its sophisticated style and attentive service.

The Rosewood Manshion

Awards for The Rosewood Mansion include Zagat’s top U.S. hotel and Travel + Leisure’s top hotel for service in the world. It’s been rated with five stars by Mobil Travel for the last 18 years and five diamonds by AAA for the last 17 years.

Turtle Creek

Accommodation, services and amenities: The Rosewood Mansion has 143 enormous old-fashioned guest rooms and suites (smallest ones are 450 square feet) and some rooms with marble fireplaces. Open French doors and view the city from private balconies. Be greeted by fresh flowers and original artworks in rooms with walk-in closets and marble bathtubs.

Outside restaurant

Other room amenities include:

• 100% cotton bed and bath linens
• Complimentary bottled water
• Coffee or tea maker
• Cable or satellite TV
• High-speed internet access
• Mini bar

Other hotel services are:

• 24 hour front desk and room service
• 24 hour pressing service and security system
• Health and Fitness studio
• Babysitting and childcare facilities
• Outdoor swimming pool
• Bar/Lounge
• Housekeeping twice a day
• Massage service
• 2:1 guest-to-staff ratio

Dining: The Mansion’s restaurant features the acclaimed American cuisine of Chef John Tesar. You can choose to dine at the Terrace or the Pool Terrace for outdoor dining, at the 20-seat Chef’s Room for premier culinary taste, or at their Private Dining Rooms for that private special event.

Bathroom

The rate: An estimated hotel rate starts at $350

The last $100.

Photo from HERE.

"I think most shelter magazines are so boring... Who wants to read someone committing an act of literature about a house, when you want to know, 'What color should I paint my bedroom?'"

These are the words of Stephen Drucker, editor of House Beautiful. You can hear him HERE in this old interview AT posted.

I really like that he mentions, in the text part of that AT interview, hearing this from a designer: "It isn't the first $1000 that makes a room, it's the last $100."

This leads me to a few thoughts/questions:

I need to buy a sofa. (Old news, I know.) In fact, I need to buy a sofa and many other things for my front room. And I went to a store here in Seattle recently to look for lamps and slipper chairs and small tables and all that, and I had a great conversation from the shop owner, but it went down a path that irritates the shit out of me: someone trying to tell me I need a $7000 sofa.

Who pays that much? Only designer-y people. I don't understand how real people plan to retire when they are using after-tax income to spend $7k on a sofa. It's insulting. I am standing in this shop getting a lecture on how Pottery Barn and Restoration and Mitchell Gold are such poor quality. What does this mean? The fabric? Maybe. The construction? Really? Come on. Is a $2,500 sofa really going to fail you? Maybe in the style department. But will it literally fall apart on you? Will the joints come undone?

The annoying part of loving shelter porn and good design is the idea that you just HAVE to pay thousands of dollars for, say, a mohair sofa, or othewise risk being an idiot who doesn't understand quality. It just smells like a racket. When designers don't even ask you what your needs are before they start trying to shame you into spending more, it just sounds to me like the movie theater concession guy trying to upsell me on the large popcorn. Please.

So, maybe that's my first question:

What is NOT worth it? (Certain appliances, upgrades, furniture, a landscape or cleaning service, custom framing, the ubiquitous $3k 48 x 36 abstract oil painting, etc.?)

And the next question, (and on a happier note) let's talk about the last $100 that Mr. Drucker mentions.

Isn't that a lovely thought? That the flowers or the art or the personal item is really what can make your room. (For me, it's my Tivoli radio in the kitchen. I know I should say it's some painting or ceramic bowl or whatever, but no. It's that damn radio. It's handsome in an old-school kind of way, and I love listening to Kai Ryssdal while I chop onions. I am just radio obsessed. And I like looking at it on my kitchen counter. It seems warm and oldie-timey and it just sounds lovely.)

When did you finally spend that "last $100" and think, "Ok.... this room is finally just right." I want to hear about it.