May 2013
1 post
April 2013
2 posts
Biarritz Day 2: A Mustard Yellow Story
Looking back at my photos from Biarritz, I realized there was a lot of a mustard yellow around:) Here are some photos of that color, and other shots from around the city. On the second day, I wore an outfit including mustard yellow, that I transformed into a nighttime look. The same day, the Beignet man was wearing it (pictured on the beach, so fun) and a woman walking with her date in a...
Day 1 Biarritz France
My husband likes to try to find “the surf spot” of almost any place we go to, so for France we selected Biarritz. I had no idea what to expect, I had just seen some black and white photos of it from the 1930’s in Vogue. It was absolutely spectacular, and such an interesting mix of serious surfers, tourists, beach babes and very fashionable French people. The umbrellas on the...
March 2013
1 post
I'll take the ivy house with the pool.....
Here are some of my final and favorite pics from St. Emilion France. I came home wanting ivy crawling up my house, it is just so picturesque. The tertiary plants on the cobblestone streets were so inspiring, I actually put six of them up my front stairwell when I got home. Touches of pale blue were everywhere, and I found some great blues in a mail drop, and a set of old doors on the street in...
February 2013
4 posts
Chateau Soutard
Enter Chateau Soutard—-pictures simply do not do it justice. The washed peach colors, mixed with grays of the doors, light marine aqua furniture, and wall murals were so inspirational for home decor. With its cement impressed walls of floral patterns, and state-of-the-art barrel room; it was classic and elegant, yet modern at the same time. My outfit seemed very fitting that day for the...
January 2013
5 posts
A French Country Dinner Party at its best
One of the nights during our stay outside of St. Emilion Bordeaux, our beautiful inn (Chambres d’hotes Bordeaux St Emilion: Beau Sejour) hosted a beautiful French country dinner party. Situated in the small inn’s main dining room, we ate with our family and other guests from all over the world. Above you’ll see photos from in that room, the very French country kitchen, and of...
Bordeaux, continued
For the next three days in Bordeaux, we ventured to our reservations at several wineries, for tastings and tours throughout their vast underground cellars and grounds. One of my favorites was Chateau Pinchon Longueville Baron, pictured towards the bottom of the post. It’s amazing castle structure overlooked a man-made pool under which stored all of the winerie’s product. When...
Bordeaux, France...First days in St. Emilion
Collect Instead is getting ready to become Collect Instead by Tuline, a transformation from outfits for travel and souvenirs, to all things that inspire me for my new Women’s brand I have recently started…. www.lovetuline.com.
But first, I will finish my fashion blogging with the trip that challenged me so much; making outfits for the most fashionable place on Earth….France....
December 2012
3 posts
Farewell Taiwan
Here are some of my last photos from Taiwan:) The last night of my trip I realized how difficult it really is to do blog photos on your own. Taking photos of my own outfits in the mirror poses a challenge, but here I am in my favorite Zara dress, with an H&M sequins clutch on the way to our final client dinner. Below it are some photos of the fun activewear at my manufacturer’s...
November 2012
1 post
Taipei Pottery Region (Yingee)
For the first time, I visited the Taipei Pottery region named Yingee, and I absolutely scored with the most beautiful tiles, wind chimes, small table accessories, door stops and jewelry. Here are some shots of my trip there, I would have done anything to have brought home the big vases… but what I did carry home was heavy enough! The tiles pictured in the third to last photo were my prize. I...
October 2012
1 post
September 2012
1 post
August 2012
2 posts
Taiwan Day Two, Girl with the Umbrella
I love these next photos from my second day in TW. The street shots are really fun to do in Taipei, especially when you catch a great mixture of prints like the girl with the umbrella. That really inspired me to mix top and bottom prints more, which I did alot on my next trip to France with these pants in photo four.
I’ve come to the conclusion its really hard to get photos of outfits...
Back to Taiwan 2012
About every year and a half I venture out to Taiwan to visit the sample rooms for my company. Each time is just as interesting, and I do my best to make the trips different from year to year. It is such an amazing country, with some of the nicest people ever- they have a very strong and beautiful culture that inspires me every time.
This year, I packed pretty well for the humid and rainy...
June 2012
2 posts
My new artwork, inspired by California
One of the best things that comes from traveling is photography, and while figuring out a Christmas gift for my husband, I started to do the below pieces with my photography from California. The idea of collaging photos of him surfing in Malibu, morphed into a 8 month long project of taking several of my photos from there and Big Sur, and applying them to canvas in various abstract ways. The...
Final stop in Cali...Sonoma Valley
It certainly has been a long time since I’ve written! A crazy, busy couple of months have kept me from this Sonoma post, which has been patiently waiting:) It was our last stop…and for anyone who has never been to California, I would say to make this their first. We absolutely loved the Russian River Valley, and all of the wine that went with it. Staying literally in a tree house that...
April 2012
1 post
March 2012
1 post
San Fran in a nutshell...
San Fran was by far one of most finicky places when it came to weather… that I have EVER experienced. When one second was hot, and the next freezing, it was very hard to dress without carrying everything from a tank to a puffer jacket in late August. I wore just about everything from my suitcase in that city, as I never knew what to expect!
What an amazing experience seeing both street art...
February 2012
2 posts
Camping in Big Sur
It’s pretty hard to chose outfits for when your camping…..in Big Sur we just wore what was good for the weather,which changed almost every 10 minutes. These photos from our excursion show what most people say about Big Sur…. pictures just don’t do it justice :)
January 2012
1 post
December 2011
2 posts
Flashback: Friendship bracelet inspiration
After writing my last post about Venice beach, I remembered I wanted to add these fun magazine clips-from one of my favorite skirts we ever did when I was working on the Larsen Gray collection a few years back. We used thousands of bracelets, that were sewn on individually for a small run of skirts that I was lucky to be able to snatch for my wardrobe:) When I saw the table on the street with all...
Malibu, Santa Monica and Venice Beach
I’d have to say this is one of my favorite posts yet. Instead of staying in L.A., we decided to stay one block from Venice Beach, in Marina Del Ray. Our goal was to have an apartment for 4 days just steps from the beach. We found one through www.homeaway.com, our favorite place to find vacation apartment rentals. While there, we endured the trip of traffic to Malibu, shopped and ate in...
October 2011
3 posts
First night in Venice, and an evening out in L.A.
After cruising down Speedway in Venice to find our lovely apartment by the beach, we decided to brace the traffic and head into downtown L.A. on our first night. There, we ate at the Roosevelt, and enjoyed the Philharmonic at the legendary Hollywood Bowl. Once again, I sported yet another floral Forever 21 Jumper. It is one that I would have never really picked out for myself, but my husband did...
Shots from around San Diego, The Hotel Coronado,...
Day three I was feeling tan enough for this one:) Another lovely Forever 21 jumper. On our last day in San Diego, we drove around, visited the Hotel Coronado, all of the waterfront sights, and found this amazing pinata shop in a very industrial part of town, past the convention center. I just absolutely loved all of the colors and paper spewing out the front door:) I think this jumper fit right...
Day 2: San Diego Zoo and hotel lounging:)
As the East Coast was shaking up in an earthquake, Todd and I ventured out to the San Diego Zoo on the second day of our trip to Cali. I’m not usually that into zoos, but this one takes the cake. While scooting young kids aside to get the perfect gorilla photograph, I sported my second and most favorite jumper of the trip. Then, after a long morning of walking the zoo and eating lunch at...
September 2011
1 post
Day One of the Pacific Coast Highway honeymoon!
The trip I always wanted to take finally came true! For our honeymoon, Todd and I flew out to California, to rent a Jeep and drive for 2 1/2 weeks up the Pacific Coast Highway. It was a trip full of fun hotels, camping, amazing sights, crazy good food, and classic Nora and Todd traveling- a new place every almost every two days.
We picked up my dream Jeep in San Diego and we were off! The...
July 2011
3 posts
It's time!
We are so excited to have planned a trip up the Pacific Coast Highway! I can’t wait to get into our Jeep Wrangler that we have rented and see all of the California sights! Stay tuned for outfit planning and photos of our big adventure! From camping gear to glamorous gear, everything needs to be packed! xoxo Nora
Jet Set: Miami 2011
Typically around this time of year I tend to jet down to Miami for a quick weekend of girls-night-out debauchery. This time it was for my bachelorette bash with my high school chicas, and it was a blast!
When planning a trip to Miami, I tend to look for the 6PM Friday flight out, and the 6AM flight back, bringing me straight back into work with a makeshift work-day outfit on, and House music...
Flashback: Summer 2009
On most of our trips, I always have a stipulation. For our whirlwind 3 day trip to Ireland two years ago, that stipulation was that we had to find a castle to stay in one night. My Fiance did the research, and after sifting through luxury castle after luxury castle, and hotels made to look like castles, he found something a little more for real. The pictures on top were taken the day after we...
June 2011
2 posts
An Incredible Wkd in AZ!
For our weekend trip to Arizona, I didn’t really know what to expect. I just thought of HOT weather and the possibility that we may be fitting A LOT into a weekend. We found that’s how we travel though, jam-packing in as many things as we can into small periods of time! It was so much fun, and with the generous hospitality and tour-guiding of my aunt (who lives out in...
May 2011
2 posts
Friends travels
When your on a traveling drought and waiting for your next trip, the next best thing to do is to channel your traveling tips and trip-styling to your friends! This April, when my friend Lawson (pictured below, blonde) asked me to help her pick outfits for her trip to Argentina, I was very excited to help her create her look for the week, and pack smartly for some fall weather down in South...
Caught off guard..
I received an informational email about an upcoming flight with Spirit Airways, and how even carry-ons aboard their planes come with a fee. A $30 each fee each way. I am destined to beat the system, and bring now all items I need for a weekend in my purse and on my body. Call me cheap, but I see it as a very fun challenge! The requirements for a free of charge “small backpack that can fit...
April 2011
1 post
Flashback: Rome 2009
My Fiance mentioned to me that I forgot to post this find, from our trip to Rome in 2009. For some reason, I had in my head the whole time that I was going to go to Italy, and find “mustard yellow thin cutoff biker gloves” for my future Vespa. I think I drove him crazy, the day we finally set out to look for them. It wasn’t very hard though! We miraculously walked into...
March 2011
5 posts
Arizona here I come! Inspirational pics!
My new favorite travel accessory!
So… my Aunt got me these for Xmas….GENIUS. I’ve always been one to never want to pack my shoes I walk around New York IN with my clean underwear-so now this product has solved this problem! They are L.L.bean travel packers, and they are so great for organizing…and especially great for jet-setting. Instead of opening up my luggage and witnessing a clothing tornado, it is...
Market find In Taiwan
I’m not one to shop for knives, but when my fiance asked me to bring him back a “samurai sword” from Asia, this was the next best thing. While at the market in Taiwan I mentioned in below posts, I came across this antique and knew it was the perfect gift. From what I gather its made some sort of bone, metal, wood and the teal part is sting-ray. The knife part is really dull,...
Flashback: Spring 2008
This is a photo from Spring/Summer 2008, that I was thinking about the other day..because I still love this look, and am ready to bring it back out this summer. It was the Spring 2008 Dries Van Noten Collection that really caught my eye that season, and made me remember how much I love to mix prints. It doesn’t always work, but in this case I think it did! I’m getting ready to help...
Oh how I love beads
Today my friend Mark brought me some little treasures from Indonesia. I tell everyone who travels I’m the easiest to buy travel gifts for…cause bracelets are what I love the most from different places. Here’s a couple of pics that reminded me of this, from this market in Taiwan under a highway underpass that I LOVE. Tomorrow I’ll post things Ive brought home from there over...
February 2011
2 posts
Bringing color home from Mexico City
I forgot to add this piece in my last Mexico City post, but here is one of my favorite things I brought back, along with a slew of Papel Picado. Its a muslin pillow case hand embroidered in a wonderful deep, bright coral that I saw everywhere there. It washes fantastically, and gets softer and softer every time. Its the perfect pop to any room in my house, and has become my absolute favorite...
My latest wall hanging from Taiwan
This is the wall hanging that is next to that chair from Costa Rica that I absolutely love. If I could have, I would have brought back a giant vase, but this time, I found the perfect slightly large souvenier to carry on and add to my collection. A little bubble wrap, and some sweet talking through customs got this piece home safe and sound. xxox N:)
January 2011
4 posts
My all time favorite souvenier from Costa Rica
When we went to Costa Rica a few years back, we were walking down the dirt road that our fun surf bungalow was on when we stumbled upon an guy who made these amazing chairs/tables/you name it out of giant tree stumps. He sold me this chair, for 40.00 US dollars, and then that’s when the real adventure began. How on earth to get it home on the plane! I remember going down the the town of...
