Marrakesh: and a tale of my book, Marrakesh by Design

I didn't mean to fall in love.  No, I didn't mean to fall in love.  You see, prior to Morocco, there was Namibia.  A place where the sun was so strong that I had to squint to see the stretches of desert, colorless and stark.  The cities and towns were quiet and organized, neat and tidy.  Everything seemed to have its place.  Even the sand dunes were perfectly arranged.  

And then..... then came Morocco.  And with it, all of its gorgeous madness. All of its colors, all of its patterns, all of its textures. Its souks bursting to overflowing. Its houses opening to secret gardens and fountain filled courtyards.  Arches and tiles cascaded as far as the eye could see. Rooms were decorated with a kind of seductive loveliness that was as tantalizing to me as the endless cups of Moroccan mint tea    

And I wanted to share some of that with you, you see.  I wanted to give you some Marrakesh.  So you could put it in your pocket.  So you could take it home with you.  So you could add a little Marrakesh to your own living room or bedroom or kitchen.  If I couldn't lure you to Morocco then I wanted to lure Morocco to you.

So here it is.  Yes, here it is.  My book.  Marrakesh by Design, to be published by Artisan Books.  

Available now for pre-order.  At IndieBound.  Amazon.  At Barnes & Noble.  Please, oh please like it.  {I think you will.   I wrote it -- and photographed it -- with you in mind:-)} 

Morocco: and a tale of Winter coping mechanisms, Part 3: routine beauty

In winter, especially in winter, routine beauty - everyday loveliness - is what the doctor should order. Little luxuries that boost your mood when the days are short and cold {and the nights are long and even colder}.

Ah, new towels, pretty plates, a good hairbrush, cloth napkins, lemon soap, patterned pillowcases, a fluffy robe....

Invest in something for everyday -- just for you or to share.  

Yes, something like the beauty of delicate Moroccan tea glasses.....So nice for sipping tea in mornings and evenings. {Those Moroccans....oh so clever.} 

What elements make up your routine beauty? Do tell....

{Feel Better Campaign, brought to you by Me.}

See Part 1 of the Feel Better Campaign right here and Part 2 right here. 

New York: and the tale of the MIH Marrakesh Skinny

Is it right, I ask you, is it right to buy a pair of jeans because they are called the Marrakesh Skinny?  Why of course, it's not right.

But oh, if they fit you in a way that pulls everything in and smooths everything out and are so comfortable that it's plain old suspicious, why then it's quite right.  Especially, when they're called the Marrakesh Skinny. 

And so I did.

PS I also bought this and this (velvety, love) and this.  And I bought 3 pieces from this designer and the perfect sunglasses from this designer. On the home front I bought this silk cushion {so much prettier in real life} and Pantone toothbrushes from here. :-) 

The Chloé Vivian Tote: a tale of my mother and a new bag

Growing up my mother always looked immaculate.  Not in a princess-y sort of way but in a it's-so-much-nicer-to-look-put-together sort of way. Persian, she eschewed the conspicuous consumption for which Iranians were stereotypically known, and never liked her labels to show.  But she cared about her appearance and was fastidious in what she wore.  While other mothers came to school to fetch their children wearing just about anything, my mother was always dressed.  Always discreet, always elegant, always ladylike.  Her waist was tiny, her clothes were tailored, her hair was in place.  

I, on the other hand, was not immaculate.  There was my skateboarding phase, complete with knees covered in bandaids, and then there was my too-much-eyeliner phase, accompanied by an unbridled passion for Jim Morrison T shirts.  Suffice it to say that neither were good looks.  

As I have grown older my taste in fashion has continued to evolve and, I hope, improve.  For the last decade or two, I've had a penchant for clothing and accessories with an exotic flair or a slightly rocker edge. But these days I find myself gravitating towards things that are simpler, cleaner and a bit more structured.  In a wardrobe purge that left me breathless, this Fall I gave away no less than 125 pieces of clothing. Left in my closet is less color and pattern, but more items that actually work together{what a concept}. 

A Christmas present to myself:  the Chloé Vivian Tote.  White and porcelain leather, matte gold hardware.  For six months of warm Marrakesh weather and sized for a lap top. 

I think my mother would approve.