December 2005
This New Year's Eve weekend 2005 , for two nights, San Francisco will be the site of a daring cultural convergence. Boulder, Colorado, based Madison House, and Portland, Oregon, based Peak Experience Productions, will join forces with long time San Francisco art/event promoters Anon Salon. Collectively they will raise the 6th Annual Sea of Dreams - New Year's EVE-O-Lution!
The master-blaster plan is to draw together a miraculous mash up of diverse artistic, musical, and performance communities. Once together they will trip the switch on the possible, and unleash a truly new and beautiful form of pARTy celebration into the world - a real New Year's Eve-O-Lution - with YOU at the center of it all.
Three stages standing for three grand entertainment agendas (one mostly musical, one mostly cabaret and circus, and one mostly straight out dance crazy) will anchor the events that will then burst forth from there across the sprawling indoor, and outdoor reaches, of this beautiful and very comfortable venue. Discover a "MetaMorphoSea" of thematic environments, interactive art installations, fun participatory opportunities, and unforgettable Midnight celebrations all designed to delight and engage your (hopefully) brilliantly costumed senses
Continue reading "Sea of Dreams New Years Eve Party ~ San Francisco" »
Radio-Coteau is a tribute to wine as a natural expression of a vineyard and a vintage, and the people who bring it into being. Our partners—passionate growers dedicated to sustainable farming and the dynamic connection between land and wine—play as important a role as the soil and climate in developing the identity of our wines. Working with select vineyard sites, Radio-Coteau focuses on Pinot Noir grown in northern California’s western Sonoma County, within the neighborhoods of Occidental, Bodega, Sebastopol, and Cazadero. An old-vine, dry-farmed Zinfandel parcel in Occidental; a steep hillside Russian River Syrah planting; and a highly regarded Pinot Noir vineyard just northwest of Philo in Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley round out our portfolio.
On a stunning hillside vineyard located northwest of Philo, Richard Savoy’s Pinot Noir grapes develop intense flavor over a season lengthened by the cooling maritime influence which funnels through the Anderson Valley.
In 2003, no fewer than four separate passes allowed us to capture the optimal maturity of each vineyard block. Savoy’s unique character sings with a sense of place. Intense crimson in color, the 2003 Savoy projects dense notes of dark fruit and potpourri highlighted by an essence of clementine. In a balance of power and elegance, the round entry frames complex fruit flavors that continue to develop with time and aeration. Expect a long finish. Cellared properly, this wine can be set aside for years of continued enjoyment.
You buy Radio Coteau wines On-line but I do know the 2003’s are old sold out. Ive got my 5 bottles in the cellar. I am waiting for the right moment.
This multimedia installation will present the definitive collection of a group of works Yutaka Sone has been developing in recent years in which he envisions snowflake patterns as blueprints for architectural spaces and psychological states, and transforms their crystallized forms into fields and structures. His work on this project began with a small number of drawings, sculptural studies, photographs, and paintings. The photographs--currently in development--include detailed images of individual snowflakes in mountain landscapes. The drawings and paintings feature monochromatic or two-toned images of individual snowflakes, sometimes transformed into architectural shapes, sometimes simplified to emphasize their elegant design. Glass, wood, and marble sculptures that expand the architectural elements of the drawings, a video, and a performance by Sone's band Snowflake are also planned. Once the artworks are installed, Sone plans to place up to 200 pine trees in the gallery, creating a real forest in the gallery.
January 29 – April 9, 2006 The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago
A few years ago, when French billionaire François Pinault was searching for an original way to show a sculpture by the American conceptual artist Richard Serra that he had acquired, he decided to buy a ruined chapel in Brittany, dismantle it, transport it across France and rebuild it in the park outside his chateau. Local planning officials were aghast, but Pinault has never been one to allow bureaucracy, or logistics, to stand in his way.
More recently, when Pinault was looking for a larger venue to exhibit his collection of contemporary art, he selected an abandoned island in Paris, three miles along the Seine from the Eiffel tower. There, on the site of a derelict car manufacturing plant, he aims to build a private museum to rival the Guggenheim in Bilbao or the Saatchi Gallery in London.
Work has begun on Paris's latest architectural feat, the François Pinault Foundation for Contemporary Art. The £150m concrete and glass art gallery, on an abandoned island on the city's outskirts, is the work of Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Aficionados of the avant-garde should be making their way along the Seine by 2008.
The Garmin StreetPilot 2720 is a premium GPS automotive navigator that offers text-to-speech and traffic interface capabilities.
In addition to the turn-by-turn voice prompted navigation available in earlier StreetPilot models, the 2720’s text-to-speech functionality allows the unit to audibly announce the name of upcoming streets and points of interest (POIs), letting drivers keep their eyes on the road while navigating through busy traffic and tricky roadways.
For drivers in congested metropolitan areas, Garmin is offering the GTM 10, an optional FM RDS-TMC traffic receiver that receives digital information (where available) on traffic, road construction, and weather-related tie-ups. The GTM 10 receives data from selected FM broadcast stations in select cities throughout the United States and Europe. This optional feature lets drivers see congested areas via a color-coded map. When connected to the GTM 10, the Garmin StreetPilot 2720 uses this data to automatically calculate and suggest alternative routes based on the traffic information.
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Sentinel has been designed with an appealing aesthetic in mind. The building's architecture combined with it's unique feature lighting establish it as a contributor to art in the City of Glasgow. It is rare to find a speculative administrative building which stands up to the requirement for excellence and inventiveness. It is a building designed and built with skill, ambition and confidence: qualities which were maintained throughout the project. Sentinel is a new basement, ground and nine storey office development providing flexible open plan, virtually column free, office accommodation throughout. The upper levels enjoy panoramic views over the city. At night-time a variety of colour lighting changes, controlled by the Building Management System, alters the mood of Sentinel.
Architects: Gordon Murray and Alan Dunlop Architects
The two-day Tropical Green conference will be an invaluable experience for architects, interior designers, developers, city planners, politicians, and voters in search of learning the ways of 21st century design that will both help the environment and their wallets.
You can register online with a cerdit card by following this link or calling (800) 715-2443. Checks may be made payable to METROPOLIS magazine. Please mail your check and registration form to METROPOLIS Products, P.O. Box 576, Mt. Morris, IL 61054. Please complete one form for each individual.
In essence air travel consolidators enable travellers to compare flight prices across a range of airlines for a particular flight route on at the same time period. This enables travellers to save time and money by comparing a range of airlines simultaneously to determine not only the most cost effective airline, but also the most convenient time to travel and airline to travel from/to where there are several options.The core benefit of using an air travel consolidator is that you can inevitably find not only the cheapest flight route, but also the most affordable flight at the most convenient time. As the online travel market has grown over the last decade, so the number of travel consolidators on the net likewise has increased, and is due to eclipse traditional offline travel consolidators within the next two years. Indeed, the benefit of using an online air travel consolidator is that you are able to not only compare several airlines using one consolidator, but in fact quickly and conveniently compare several travel consolidators' best prices for a particular travel route against one another. As such you are effectively comparing 'the best quote' across a range of 'best airfare' quote providers. While many online air travel consolidators may offer the same flight routes by the same airline, the relationship and deals that they have which airline will inevitably vary, as such one consolidator will be able to quote a far more cost effective price on the same flight as another airline.
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One hundred of San Francisco’s finest restaurants will offer three-course prix-fixe menus at $21.95 for lunch and/or $31.95 for dinner. A la carte menus will be available as well. Available exclusively to Visa cardholders, "Dine About Town San Francisco" gives diners the rare opportunity to try out hot new restaurants and revisit some favorites at tempting prices. Experienced Dine About Town-ers know to make reservations as soon as the dedicated Web site, goes live A list of all 100 participating "Dine About Town San Francisco" restaurants, searchable by cuisine and location, will be available. Through a partnership with OpenTable.com, the leading provider of free, online reservations for diners as well as guest and table management systems for restaurants, reservations at the participating restaurants can be made online at www.sfdineabouttown.com.
Jacquesson was founded in 1798 by Memmie Jacquesson and today stakes a claim as the oldest independent Champagne house. Early vintages were very successful and the house quickly established a good reputation, and the wines are said to have found favour even with Napoleon. Like any good general Napoleon never campaigned with a case or two of good Champagne!
Continue reading "Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée n°728" »
K Studio has developed a line of embroidered softgoods offering many combinations of fabrics, embroidery designs and thread colors. Each piece is made by hand in their studio in Grand Rapids, MI.
Shelly Klein, a graduate of Kendall College of Art and Design, has owned and operated a design studio working as a consultant for the contract furniture industry with clients like Herman Miller. Mary Klein is a veteran of the contract furniture industry with extensive management and manufacturing background. The combination of their respective areas of expertise resulted in a natural collaboration exploring a shared interest in combining good design with sustainable materials and business.
Buy K Studio at 2modern.com
LA/SF Furniture Seen is a comprehensive, easy to use, searchable e-platform for the modern furniture buyer in the greater Los Angeles and San Francisco area. Their goal is to send qualified buyers into your showroom to complete a sale.
They offer a cost effective way to reach a very targeted audience and committed to building a strong user base including architects, interior designers, set designers and retail customers
Users are emailed about new products, special sales, showroom openings and design events as well, designers ard their funriture are profiled under the designs page, where users can get information about the designers and where to buy the product. I would consider it halfway house for prospective furniture buyers
High chairs are great. Except when you don’t have one. That’s where Totseat comes in. It’s washable. It’s squashable. It’s highly portable. It’s for babies who lunch. Fabric highchairs have been around for many years but Totseat differs significantly for three reasons. It adjusts for high and low backed chairs - it has an integral cummerbund which offers additional support (so works on open backed chairs too) - and it clips neatly and firmly at the back. Designed to fit almost any adult chair, the funky fabric Totseat will keep even the wiggliest child safely in place. It’s simple to use. Easy to carry. (Just squash it in and go). And ideal for children aged between eight months and two and a half years. Simply slip it over the chair back, adjust it, pop in the baby, and clip it firmly. It won the Scottish Design Awards grand prize for 2005.
Just declared the #1 US hotel in the west by Travel and Leisure magazine and a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, The Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa is located at 175 N. Jackson Street, just minutes from Jackson's Town Square, renowned for its fine shopping, art galleries and restaurants. Established in 1990, the Rusty Parrot is a 31-room lodge that has established itself as the lodging choice of discerning travelers worldwide. Well-appointed rooms are designed with in-room wood burning fireplaces, down comforters, and one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted furniture. Rooms are available with king- or double queen-size beds and feature baths with oversized soaking tubs, with in-room massages available in front of a roaring fire. To further pamper guests, the Rusty Parrot provides complimentary thick bathrobes, boutique bath amenities and nightly turndown service to every room.With close proximity to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, guests often make the Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa their home base as they make day trips into the parks. The lodge is twenty minutes from Jackson Airport; twenty minutes from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort at Teton Village and ninety minutes from Grand Targhee ski area. A complimentary public shuttle service and private van service is available to bring guests to and from the ski resort.
Philips' Wireless Music Center could possibly be the ultimate hi-tech dream machine. Not only is the main stereo unit a beautifully designed system that can store up to 750 CDs as MP3 files, but you can connect up to five audio stations to it and dot them around the house, allowing CD-quality music to follow the listener seamlessly from room to room. Don't ask, just buy. Philips also claims the price of the system is much cheaper than rivals with the main unit to retails for $999 and the speaker systems selling for $300 each. The music is streamed in either MP3 or WMA formats and distributed to the speakers via 802.11b wireless
POLANOID was invented because the magic of Polaroid pictures, the thrilling Edwin Land story and the charme and touch of Polaroid cameras hit us like a sledge hammer. Hungry for real analog, good smelling pictures in a digital world, we decided to swim against the stream and to reset our focus and start the biggest, best and most instant online photo community ever. Stuffed with millions of Polaroids, collected and uploaded by Polaroid addicts all over the planet. It was a long way before we finally write this lines, just a few days before the official launch of POLANOID.NET. It all started at the lomographic headquaters back in June 2004 with this first Polaroid that we aber made, using a holga with colored flash and a Polaroid back. Even if this picture will never make it to any art-gallery it opened our eyes and heart for the unique advantages of real analog photography.
| Via PSFK |
The new Panasonic PT-AE900U-EC is a native high-definition home theater projector that produces stunning, film-like images with a dramatic 5500:1 contrast ratio.Capable of displaying ultra-sharp, ultra-clear HD pictures up to 14.5-feet wide, the PT-AE900U is equipped with advanced, new digital picture-enhancing features allowing you to enjoy "Hollywood picture quality" in the comfort of your own home.The PT-AE900U-EC offers a host of image optimizing features including a new Dynamic Iris optical system that extends the iris range by 30% for a breathtaking 5000:1 contrast ratio. Dynamic Iris, with scene tracking capability, constantly adjusts the light volume and gamma curve in real time, so the picture is always optimal and transitions between scenes are amazingly smooth and natural. The PT-AE900U-EC is also outfitted with new Smooth Screen technology that effectively eliminates the "screen door effect" (visible spacing between pixels) and gives the projector a sharp, detailed HD picture that is remarkably smooth and film-like.
Buy it on-line at Amazon.com
One of the most innovative, experimental and conceptual fashion designers of the present is Hussein Chalayan.over the past ten years the turkish-cypriot designer. Born 1970 in Nicosia - has produced more than twenty collections.The most important projects are shown in his first major solo exhibition in form of garments, installations, photographs and videos. His work often concentrates on cultural or socio-political themes, reflecting chalayan’s personal history as someone whose identity is shaped by different cultures. He takes his inspiration from a wide range of different disciplines such as architecture, philosophy and anthropology. Chalayan is a designer with the heart of an artist and with the brain of a scientist. In 1993 hussein chalayan graduated from London's central St. Martins College of Art and Design with a sensational presentation of garments he buried in the earth before to see how they would decompose. the twice-crowned british designer of the year became famous in fashion by using unconventional materials and unorthodox techniques - putting the creative process itself on view. blown-up skirts, armchair covers which transform into dresses, chairs into suitcases, a coffee table reveals itself to be a wooden skirt. This and more will give you an idea how Chalayan uses fashion as a medium for expression. Since 2001 he has presented his collections at the prêt-à-porter runway shows during paris fashion week. In 2002 Chalayan established his first menswear collection. this opened him the doors to numerous international exhibitions, including ‘radical fashion’ at the V&A victoria & Albert Museum in london, ‘fashion’ at the Kyoto Costume Institute in Japan, ‘airmail clothing’ at the Musée de la Mode Palais du Louvre in Paris and the Istanbul biennial.
The action takes place over three levels at the sleek new Garrett Café Bar at the Bairro Alto Hotel in Lisbon. Colourful light boxes and a rotating light display are warm and inviting on the main level; Chinese lacquered tables and screens spice up the Mezzanine; while the Igloo-lounge in the basement offers cool, minimalist surroundings perfect for private parties. Go along towards the end of the week and sip Champagne and Pimm's cocktails while local DJs spin their favourite tunes.
Praca Luis de Camoes, 8, Lisbon Portugal
In the late 1970s, Barbara and Jim Richards started to visit the Napa Valley frequently and fell in love with the area and its people. They have always had an interest in wine, both in its making and its consumption, in food and gardening. In 1980, they were living in Midland, Texas, and began thinking about a second home; we decided to start looking for a small property in the Napa Valley were they could build a home and plant a small vineyard. This dream was realized in 1983 when a friend of theirs, Dan Duckhorn, called and told them about the property they now call Paloma Vineyard.
The property is located five miles west of St. Helena at the top of Spring Mountain. In the last half of the 19th century it was a vineyard, but was allowed to return forest about the turn of the century. They still find old redwood grape stakes and even a few old zinfandel vines that survive under the large Douglas fir trees that surround their home. Their vine near the house produces one or two clusters of grapes a year that are put into our Merlot blend for good luck. The purchase of this raw land was the beginning of an odyssey that is ongoing, ever changing, but with one goal to grow the best grapes possible and make wine that reflects the terroir of their vineyard.
For those interested in such things: the elevation of Paloma Vineyard is 2060 feet above sea level at the bottom of our property and 2240 at the top, exposure is generally east with many variations, and the soils are derived from the Sonoma volcanics and from Franciscan sandstone. Total acreage is 20 acres with 15 acres planted.
All coach sets are not created equal. True, nearly every U.S. airline economy cabin is packed like a sardine can these days, but some are packed tighter than others. You can get closer to comfort by being picky about the models of aircraft you fly and then trying to engineer yourself into the best seat on the particular plane you've selected.
I've been comparing a lot of coach cabins lately, tape measure and seating charts in hand. On a Continental Airlines 737 from Newark to Denver, my seat cushion measured 18.5 inches across. The pitch—the distance from row to row, which is a measurement of legroom—was 31 inches. There was no inflight entertainment, and it took some squeezing to get my garment bag into the overhead compartment. For my flight from Denver back to Newark, I opted for a United Airlines 777 instead. My seat cushion measured 20 inches across, the pitch 32 inches. I had my own personal seatback video screen with a choice of movies and television shows, and there was tons of space in the overhead compartment.
Next came an American Airlines 757 from JFK to Seattle. This time my seat cushion measured 18 inches, the pitch 35 inches. My theory that American must be trying to attract the tall and thin was confirmed on my return flight. I managed to snag an exit-row seat: Although it was only 17 inches wide (thanks to immovable, hip-confining armrests), it afforded an extra 7 inches of legroom.
On only four flights, then, I had experienced seats with cushions anywhere from 17 to 20 inches wide and row-to-row spacing of anywhere from 31 to 42 inches, and I had decided it was high time I investigated how coach travelers with a flexible schedule can land themselves the best possible seats. Here's what I found:
Go for two-aisle plans
Wide bodies, which are typically, which are typically used on long-haul and transcontinental flights, have long been more popular than one-aisle planes. They have roomier seats, more storage space, and a less confining—as long as you don't end up in middle seat in the center section. (For a list of wide-bodies used on domestic routes, and their percentage of middle seats, see "How likely are you to get stuck in a middle seat?")
Continue reading "How to Get the Best Coach Seat" »
Great design often comes from a sense of place, and this is no exception for the work of Angela Adams, who weaves the rugged beauty and inimitable style of her native Maine into her work.
Born and raised on a small island off the coast of Maine, Adams was educated in interior design at the Philadelphia Art Institute. Rediscovering Maine’s rug-making traditions when she moved back to the area after school, Adams began experimenting with rug-making by combining age-old techniques with modernist designs. The results are fresh, edgy rugs in dynamic patterns that are made from the finest New Zealand wool in traditional hand tufted construction and would look at home in the hippest Soho lofts.
Bringing a fresh perspective to an old tradition is what Adams’s work is all about. “For me, I've been very excited about treating the rugs as paintings and bringing some very painterly qualities to the new designs,” Adams said of her work. “Blending, shading and composing the design in a way that has more layers and keeps you entranced a bit in a very calming way – like a beautiful painting would.”
Adams’ rugs were an overnight sensation with critics and decorators alike, and she opened her own mill in 1998 to assure quality control. Today her company produces fabrics, throw pillows, and patterned glassware in addition to tufted floor coverings. She recently ventured into fashion accessories with handbags, belts and luggage. Angela Adams proves that the combination of local traditions, passion, and good design can be very good business indeed.
Buy Angela Adams at Design Within Reach
Even though he didn't really "invent" Champagne, Dom Perignon was the first to make white wine from black grapes, essential for the Champagne of today. But most importantly, he initiated the art of blending -- then a novel idea.
It was said of Dom Perignon that so fine was his palate that he could taste grapes brought in from individual vineyards and identify their source. Instead of making single-vineyard wines, as was the norm, Dom Perignon used grapes from different parcels owned by the abbey or coming from farmers as tithes to create wines of consistent quality, which enhanced the abbey's reputation. So highly esteemed were the wines of Hautvillers that they fetched twice the price of wines of other villages.
| Via SF Chronicle |
Cassis is a town I fell in love in the year I lived in Aix-En-Provence. Cassis is a beautiful resort town just west of Marseille. Hemmed in by high white cliffs, its modern development has been limited and it retains much of the charm lost by its more high-profile neighbors. Built on the side of a hill, the old village is centered around a shady square where the inhabitants come to cool off and play 'pétanque' on summer nights. Portside posing and drinking aside, there's not much to do except sunbathe and look up at the ruins of the town's medieval castle, built in 1381 and now currently a hotel called the Chateau de Cassis. Perched atop Les Falaises Soubeyrannes the 13th-century Château de Cassis is a stunning hotel with five romantic suites accessed via a warren of staircases or tunnels and a fantastic view of the Mediterranean and the town of Cassis.
Former graphic designer Paola Lenti founded her self-named company in 1994, and it is now one of Italy’s leading luxury furniture and flooring brands. Lenti designs herself, but also brings in other renowned designers, such as Francesco Rota, to create pieces for the collections. The interpretation of colours and shapes, refined design solutions and a distinctive timeless style: these are the core elements of Paola Lenti’s corporate philosophy. At the forefront of Italian design, the company specializes in contemporary furniture and flooring and is renowned for its research and experimentation in the the textile field. Natural and technological materials are transformed into precious, unique resistant and durable yarns and textiles. Paola Lenti products represent the aesthetic and technical evolution of materials and ideas.
Reese Miller Estate is small vineyard of 18ac at Yea, just north of the Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia. It is in a new wine region called Upper Goulburn. They specialize in high quality red wines, and have an annual production of 3,000 cases per year. They firmly believe that wine is made in the vineyard and concentrate our efforts there, limiting crops to about 2.0t/ac. The site is excellent for flavour, and vineyard management is designed to maximise this. They are also converting to organic/biodynamic management, to make sure their vineyard and in fact the whole property is kept in the best possible condition.They produce pinot noir, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. They use traditional winemaking techniques - open fermenters, hand plunging and pumping over, and basket pressing. They often use wild yeast and allow the wines to complete their MLF naturally.
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5. Banff/Lake Louise, Alberta, Western Canada
Located in the heart of Canada's Banff National Park, Lake Louise ranks as one of the most scenic mountain resorts in North America, if not the entire world. Banff/Lake Louise has three different ski areas (Mount Norquay/Mystic Ridge, Sunshine Village, and Lake Louise) that are roughly 50 km apart (yes, they use km outside of the US).
The Insider's Guide to the Best Canadian Skiing has labeled Norquay as "an unforgiving brute legendary for its unrelenting vertical and monster moguls."
4. Vail, Colorado, Western United States
Legendary Vail markets itself as "America's favorite resort" and deserves to be ranked amongst the world's top five all-around ski resorts. As the largest single ski area in the United States, Vail offers roughly 5,300 acres of skiable , terrain.
Let's not forget the fastest high-speed detachable quads on one mountain. No small feat, I'm sure. Vail offers much more with several art galleries, museums, ballooning, dog sledding, ice skating, hockey, snowmobiling, and much more.
3. Zermatt, Switzerland
While neighboring Gstaad is one of the world's top resorts with its three five-star hotels and St. Moritz is more popular, most rank Zermatt as Switzerland's top resort. A remarkably peaceful getaway, the village is peaceful thanks to its car-free environment. Amazingly picturesque, Zermatt holds the world's second biggest lift-served vertical drop and receives huge snowfalls thanks to its altitude (and some help from snowmakers on the lower slopes).
2. Kitzbuhel, Austria
While St. Anton holds the crown of "Europe's liveliest ski resort," and Innsbruck is home to one of Europe's liveliest and most beautiful cities (the International Olympic Committee must have thought so as well, as the city hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976), Kitzbuhel is considered the "Pearl of the Alps" and is the most famous holiday resort in the Austrian Tyrol. This 700-year-old village offers visitors the charm of an alpine village. Skiing began in the winter of 1892.
1. Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia
These two towering mountains provide the best skiing in North America, with the biggest vertical drop. It's funny what a difference 30 years and $600 million can make. Yet there was not much there but a mountain for courageous hikers.
Whistler's charming village offers everything snowboarders and skiers crave; cafes, international stores and over 100 restaurants that cater to all tastes including Chinese, French, Greek, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, and Thai cuisine.
Food is key after partaking in the activities that really make Whistler legendary. Whistler quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the strongest contenders for the much-disputed title of "world's greatest ski resort." Over the past decade, Whistler was consistently voted "Best North American Ski Resort" by North Americans. The Japanese repeatedly rank it as their favorite international destination.
Living with his painter/sculptor father, Parra grew up surrounded by colours, oil paint, wood, weird looking pictures & rubenesque paintings. A second influence was skateboarding “In the early nineties the skate scene was about sarcasm, post
rebel feelings & sampling existing design, like a strange post pop art”. A third was hip hop – “ I was a little petty DJ back then spinning for cabfare” – sparking an early interest in cover art, still informing his aesthetic today. Music is the crux of
Parra’s work, encompassing eclectic musical vibes from Donovan to Slayer. Almost entirely self taught - "A lot of looking & copying & changing & changing it again until it looked like something else & I forgot about the original", Parra is pure
- he believes that 'The Poster' is a design movement. The basic colour palettes (usually 2 or 3), beautiful hand-drawn typography & esoteric character creation are reminiscent of screen printed poster designs of the 1960s & 70s. If it wasn't for the subtle nudges towards hip hop & graffiti culture, you may think he was working in the wrong century. Some of Parra's characters would feel just as at home in the ' Cat in the Hat ' as they do promoting a scratching competition or on the cover of a Biz Markie record.
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The most distinctive character of Iron Horse Pinot Noir 
is that it goes beyond the bright fruit character typical of the Russian River area, showing deeper, more earthy flavors that are special to Green Valley. This is a very expressive, stylish wine. It has extraordinary depth of character and yet the weight and texture of the wine are so light and silky, it just glides across the palette.
The Estate Pinot Noir is made from six distinct sites on their Green Valley vineyard, harvested over a period of several days, resulting in ten different lots of wine, blended together to make a very expressive, stylish wine. Smoky oak intermingled with dark, ripe cherries, wild berries, clove, vanilla and woodsy, leathery scent offer the first heady sensation. The mouth feel is rich and supple. The bright, Green Valley acidity carries the flavors to a full, long finish.
Accolades: The 2002 received a 90-point rating in Wine Spectator. The prior vintage was described in the Dallas Morning News by wine writer Diane Teitlebaum as "jaw-dropping." It received a 90-point rating in Wine Enthusiast. San Francisco radio personality Narsai David praised it as "most elegant" on the KCBS Kitchen and it was listed as an excellent all around favorite for Thanksgiving in USA Today.
Buy it online at Wine.com
There is certainly no dearth of slopeside luxury and service around the globe. We even discovered a swanky ski property in Lebanon (the IC Mountain Resort & Spa Mzaar), but it didn’t make the cut because just getting there is more dangerous than navigating a black diamond run. Instead, we’re simply giving you—as we always do—our favorites, chosen for their locations and style. Among them you’re sure to find a mountain retreat that’s just right for you.
Continue reading "Top 10 Ski Resorts" »
The loft used to be a distinctly urban animal: empty downtown factories converted first into living spaces by struggling artists, then later into trendy up-market condos. But like many city dwellers, as it has matured, the loft has moved farther away from the hustle and bustle of downtown life. Last year, the National Association of Home Builders incorporated the "loft look" in its annual demonstration home in Las Vegas. A cross between SoHo and Pleasantville, the house featured an open plan, buffed-concrete floors and high ceilings, but it also sat amid a manicured lawn in a gated subdivision. It drew rave reviews and quickly sold for $1.9 million." NY Times
International interior designer Beverly Payeff Masey was recently recognized by the feng shui community for her outstanding contributions to the Science of Person/Place Connection and Pyramid School Feng Shui. She received awards at Feng Shui Institute International’s biennial Conference in St. Augustine, Florida. Ms. Masey was awarded the Feng Shui Institute of America 2005 Visionary Award for her groundbreaking developments in the field of neuro-design. Her work connecting brain research to visual perception of the environment has led to the first applications for feng shui, architecture, and design professionals, and uses scientific means to identify the specific set of sub-consciously processed visual cues that cause each individual to react positively or negatively to various design schemes. For further information: http://www.fengshui-ii.org/fengshuiconference.htm
With the model 01+, OQO has ushered in the era of the ultra-portable computer--the uPC. The model 01+ is an astoundingly small, full-featured Windows XP machine--it weighs only 0.88 pounds (398g) and measures 4.9" x 3.4" x .9" (12.4 x 8.6 x 2.3cm). To get an idea how small this is, fold a standard A4 sheet of paper (regular copy paper) into a quarter of its size; the model 01+ is has a footprint that is slightly smaller than this, and it is less than an inch thick. It fits almost anywhere.
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Carolyn Mendoza, a fine artist from Venice California has established a long-term career in working with metal. Influenced by nature, she creates unique sculptural designs by welding natural forms onto steel. Using various patina techniques, vivid colors hidden beneath the surface are drawn out adding a dramatic element to the pieces. These one of a kind organic artworks can be enjoyed in both indoor and outdoors settings and can be custom designed to suit the clients individual needs. Carolyn's work unites the worlds of sculpture, painting, metal and nature forming elegant creations that breath life into any environment
Bark Deco: truly modern dog beds. Bark Deco beds are built by hand in America and feature exotic wood veneers, Crypton fabrics and upholstery grade foam. The elevated and ventilated platform beds provide comfort for our canine clients and sleek, architectural profiles for their owners. Each Bark Deco bed stands 7" tall (for easy access for most breeds and visual symmetry for multi-dog families) and comes with a coordinating toy box. Special orders are welcome.
Bark Deco
Los Angeles, CA
(310) 948-5522
At the high end, the 1990 Piper-Heidsieck, Rare Cuvée Réservee averages 93 points, and at $70, it is 38 percent of the average $186 price for a similarly scoring Champagne. At $31, the NV Duval-Leroy, Brut Paris Label averages 92 points and earns a 28 percent QPR. At $27, the NV Jacquart, Brut Mosaïque averages 91 points; with the average price of $109 for similar scoring-wines, it earns a 25 percent Outstanding Value QPR. At the value end of $22, the NV Piper-Heidsieck, Brut averages 89 and earns a 49 percent QPR. You will find these four wines and 234 more profiled in the QPRwines Vintage and Non-Vintage Champagne Issue.
The LaCie Big Disk is ideal for space-hungry applications, such as archiving photo image-banks and 3D images, and storing massive desktop publishing files, as well as for editing audio and uncompressed digital video files. Forget about network downtime; gigabytes can be exchanged in seconds simply by transferring a LaCie Big Disk from a computer to another. With such an unbelievably large capacity, the LaCie Big Disk is also ideal for large-scale backup among multiple users without causing network congestion.Twice the size of hard drives currently on the market, the LaCie Big Disk is a unique innovation that offers hundreds of gigabytes of storage space in a portable 5.25" format. Equipped with the FireWire and USB 2.0 interface, the LaCie Big Disk delivers fast transfer rates of up to 400Mbits/sec to accommodate high-volume environments such as digital imaging, pre-press and post-production facilities. I’ve gotten rid of all my CD’s and ripped them onto the big disk and now play all my music from my computer directly to my stereo.
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Hotel Palafitte is perfect for those with no taste for the tropics, or anyone who appreciates an inventive and inspiring hotel, Hôtel Palafitte is a South Pacific-style overwater bungalow hotel, located not in the Maldives but on the waters of Switzerland’s Lake Neuchâtel, at the foot of the Jura mountains, with a stunning view of the Alps across the lake. Completed just in time for the Swiss Expo.02, this is an utterly futuristic execution of a timeless concept. After all, farmers lived in houses on stilts above the waters of this very lake some five thousand years ago — but never quite like this.
Continue reading "Hotel Palafitte Neuchâtel, Switzerland" »
The Figge Art Museum, a new museum by British firm David Chipperfield Architects, on the banks of the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa, not only envelopes its collections in a luminous and strictly orthogonal embrace, but it stands as a glowing emblem for the regeneration of Davenport's riverfront downtown.
The Figge Art Museum is Chipperfield's first civic commission in the United States. The firm — known for such projects as the River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, United Kingdom, and the BBC Scotland Headquarters in Glasgow, and as winners of over 20 national and international competitions and awards — conducts its practice at many scales: from custom furniture to urban masterplanning. For the Figge, David Chipperfield teamed with award-winning Des Moines, Iowa-based architects, Herbert Lewis Kruse Blunck.
Forbes has a new series that identifies 100 men and women who shape the way we eat, listen, drink, dress and more. Looking at the fields of food, film, music, architecture, winemaking, industrial design, performing arts, literature, art and fashion design, Forbes.com selected ten individuals who have made the greatest creative contributions (or continued to make great contributions) to their respective fields over the past year. They used reader polls, awards, press mentions, earnings and other criteria to arrive at the final lists. While some readers may not agree with their choices (like me) and many were surprising even to us--there is no doubt that everyone who made the list is truly a Tastemaker.
A metalic bowl that visualizes a person's heartbeat through according patterns in the water surface. The bowl is filled with water. By taking hold of it by the handles, it becomes literally moved by the rhythm of the user's heart. resistance sensors at the handles send signals to a hidden microcontroller that controls a shaking device underneath the bowl
This year, Wine Spectator editors tasted more than 12,400 wines. Of these, more than 2,500 rated outstanding (90 points or higher on their 100-point scale). These were the initial candidates for the Top 100. They apply four criteria to determine the final selections: quality (as represented by score); value (as reflected by release price); availability (measured by case production, or for international wines, the number of cases imported); and an X-factor we call excitement. This years #1 was is the 2002 Joesph Phelps Insignia which we previoulsy reviewed. Go check out the other 99 on their list.
Max Beer is the Berlin lable for comfortbale shoes. In the urban landscape, Max Beer shoes are inhabiting and ecological niche– sneaker on the outside, foot friendly and breathable on the inside. Currently, collections are crafted in Italy, in series of a couple of hundred pairs, in a family workshop in the mountains west fo Florence. Max Beer shoes are made of 100% leather, they contain a footbed made of coco and juta fibre and leather, and under that leather insole. Soles are made of leather or high-quality rubber. The choice of materials and the design are aimed at healthy walking and a good foot climate, as well as guaranteeing a long life
Buy on-line at Max Beer
Via DesignSpotter
ION iPod DJ Mixer - This DJ mixer has inputs for two iPods, giving you the ability to utilize thousands of tracks for your mixes. It even has inputs for two additional turntables or MP3/CD players! Large jog wheel for easy menu navigation Professional style line and cross-fader for mixing audio sources Industry-standard Kensington slot built-in for security Inputs - 2 iPod, 2 Line (CD/MP3), 2 Phono (Turntable), & 1 Microphone Outputs - Master RCA, Record RCA, S-Video, & Headphone (1/8 & 1/4) Compatible with 3rd & 4th generation iPods, iPod Minis, & iPod Photo Firewire & USB 2.0 connectors for each iPod to connect to a computer.The iDJ is a 2-channel mixer that enables mobile DJs and iPod enthusiasts to seamlessly integrate their portable music libraries with other music and sound reinforcement systems—transforming the iPod from a personal music player into a source playback device. With its compact form factor, comprehensive feature set, and a blue on white aesthetic appeal that blends perfectly with the iPod, the iDJ makes the music more accessible and the party better than ever.
Buy it on-line at Amazon.com
"The greatest and finest atlas ever published." -Koeman I, Bl 56 The finest and most comprehensive baroque atlas was Joan Blaeu’s exceptional Atlas Maior, completed in 1665. The original 11-volume Latin edition, containing 596 maps, put Blaeu ahead of his staunch competitor, mapmaker Johannes Janssonius, whose rivalry inspired Blaeu to produce a grandiose edition of the largest and most complete atlas to date. Covering Arctica, Europe, Africa, Asia, and America, Blaeu’s Atlas Maior was a remarkable achievement and remains to this day one of history’s finest examples of mapmaking. This reprint is made from the National Library of Vienna’s complete, colored, gold-heightened copy, thus assuring the best possible detail and quality. The book’s introduction, by the University of Utrecht’s Peter van der Krogt, discusses the historical and cultural context and significance of the atlas; Krogt also provides detailed descriptions of the maps, allowing modern readers to fully appreciate Blaeu’s masterwork.
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The recently opened 226-room Hilton Vancouver Washington sets a new, urban precedent for the eco-hotel. The downtown property, which is owned by the city of Vancouver, Washington, and is the centerpiece of its revitalization plan, is slated to become the second hotel in the United States to receive a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating, a certification awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council and one of the most difficult for any building to receive. Designed by the Portland architecture firm Fletcher Farr Ayotte, the hotel is exemplary in its energy efficiency, water-use reduction, sustainable construction and operation, and promotion of alternative transportation. Perhaps most significant, however, is the hotel's adoption of a simple formula: build green, save money. The property is expected to recoup the additional cost for its energy-saving technologies in less than two years and save approximately $86,000 annually through reduced energy costs. By demonstrating the ease and economic feasibility of building green, the Hilton Vancouver Washington has paved the way for other large, urban hotels to embrace environmental responsibility.
Letterpress printer Julie Holcomb started in the business 25 years ago at a little place on Fillmore Street in San Francisco, in the same building that Carlos Santana recorded his albums. These days she collaborates with illustrators such as Patricia Curtan and shows her work at musesums and design centers
When it comes to France, it's not so much where you go that matters, but how you do it. Long-term Paris resident Stephen Clarke gives an insider's guide to getting good service.
Via | The Guardian |
Core77 has 150+ images from the 2005 design festival in London, including shots from 100% Design and Designersblock.
In 1940, Karimoku took its first steps as a woodworking shop in Kariya, in the suburbs of Nagoya, Japan's third largest city. Since then, they have been committed to our love of trees and have steadfastly provided fine quality wooden furniture.
Widely recognized for its stance on furniture making based on its Quality First philosophy, by 1972 Karimoku had grown into Japan's No. 1 wooden furniture maker in terms of domestic sales. The Karimoku brand has been firmly established as a synonym of fine quality furniture and proof of reliable furniture, a reputation we have maintained to this day. They aspire to make furniture that creates a comfortable living space and will continue to be loved as a lifelong partner.
Handcrafted in Italy and designed to complement designer denim and dress casual wear, Mark Nason is the soul of style. With distinctive profiles and luxurious hand-distressed leathers, the range of classic and modern boots, shoes and sandals is also desired by those who define style as unique and individualistic.
Buy them Online at Zappos.com 
From the moment you enter the James Bond-inspired tunnel-shaped doorway, you know this is not just any old watering hole. Designer Dodd Mitchell's inspiration was fashion, chocolate, sensuality and fire. Glassmaker Norman Mooney was brought in to create the hand-blown lighting fixture spanning an entire wall. Swarovski crystals illuminate the bathroom signs. Slip into a deep brown crocodile booth and indulge in chocolate from Debauve & Gallais – the only food on the menu. Why has no one thought of this before?
Double Seven
418 W. 14th St (btwn 9th & 10th Aves)
New York, NYC
212 981 9099
Just Awarded Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of 2005! The 2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia 
is full of black cherry jam and allspice aromas, with luscious notes of boysenberry, ripe plums, toasted oak and tobacco. The exceptionally elegant mouthfeel coats the palate with layer after layer of tannin, followed by a lengthy, textured finish containing sweet oak notes and a hint of blackberry.
78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 7% Petite Verdot and 1% Malbec primarily from estate-owned vineyards in Stag's Leap and Rutherford, with additional fruit coming from independent growers.
Buy it Online at Wine.com
Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amista is a luxurious 5 stars hotel integrated in an ancient Venetian Villa immersed in a park of 20.000 square meters and set in Corrubbio (Verona) in the heart of Valpolicella, well-known area of great wines. Contemporary art is the central theme of the Villa Amista, in which many objects of art are exposed by well-known international artists such as: Vanessa Beecroft, Anish Kapoor, Peter Halley, Sol Lewitt, Arnaldo Pomodoro, etc. The magical atmosphere, created by vast spaces ornamented with paintings, decors, and objects which garnish this magnificent villa is the essence of harmony and visual satisfaction. The hotel offers 60 rooms totally different one from each other designed for comfort, quiet and an emphasis on making every guest feel at ease. In addition, the rooms are fully equipped with access to the latest voice and internet communications technology.At our Restaurant Amista clients will be delighted by our Chef who creates dishes that bring out the beauty and subtlety of every ingredient. The love and pleasure taken in the preparation of each dish together with an attention to detail all contribute to the warm and comfortable atmosphere. In the summer season an open-air swimming pool is at disposal of the clients; there are also excellent Wellness facilities, ideal for
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