Admittedly, there have been better times to go to Thailand than now. With protesters from the north occupying the streets of Bangkok and the State Department warning against non-essential travel, it's understandable why folks would shy away from a visit. However, some of my favorite sources in the world for textiles and craft are here. Items that can't fit into your bag can be shipped for a reasonable price. Below are a few sources I always recommend:
Suan Lum Night Bazaar (Wireless Road, Bangkok): Why put up with the midday heat and crowds of JJ Market, when you can wait to shop more comfortably in the evening? Here in the center of Bangkok, you'll join savvy collectors of craft and antiques. Grab a beer, a plate of ก๋วยเตี๋ยวผัด and enjoy the band in the beer garden before you map out which of the hundreds of stalls you'll visit.
Vila Cini Silk (30 Charoenrat Road, Chiang Mai): Located in an elegant townhouse just across the river from the center of Chiang Mai is the best source for contemporary Thai silk. This isn't a place to find prints, Vila Cini weaves textural patterns out of raw silk. There are a wide range of timeless, elegant and modern home accessories, apparel and bulk fabric… and all for a fraction of prices you'd see at Gump's.
Siam Paragon (Siam MRT Station, Bangkok): The fifth floor of this otherwise ordinary luxury mall is a wonderland of contemporary Asian design. If your time in Thailand is limited or you forgot to get souvenirs until the last day, Paragon's fifth floor is a one-stop chock full of top notch art & craft, furniture and accessories. Authentic craft is the key here, you won't find any of the disposable tchotchkes sold on every Bangkok street corner.
Jim Thompson Silk (Multiple Locations): No trip to Bangkok is complete without a visit to the home and store of Jim Thompson, who is widely credited with revitalizing the Thai silk industry in the 1940s. His brightly colored fabrics were made famous in the film version of The King and I. While some of products and designs are a bit stale looking, there is still much to love: block printed linens, screened printed silks and elaborately embroidered pillows.
With my nesting instincts kicking into high gear and the Euro tanking (dreams really do come true,) I'm on the prowl for additions to my next home. I scouted out some wonderful places for housewares all over Paris. These stores all deliver high-style, originality and craftsmanship without breaking the bank.
Les Fees (19 rue Charlot, 3é): The name means Fairies, which inspired a beautiful "Midsummer Nights' Dream" collection of home accessories. This is a wonderful source of animal and nature inspired ceramics and glass, as well as handmade wool pillows and throws.
Olivier Desforges (94 rue Saint Antoine, 4é): France is known for producing some of the world's finest linens. Olivier Desforges holds to the high standards of this old-world craft while creating unfussy contemporary designs.
Flamant Home Interiors (279 rue Saint Honoré, 8é): Offers authentic French-country inspired pieces for the home, this store is what Restoration Hardware aspires to be. The accessories are particularly impressive and the prices are surprisingly reasonable.
Bookbinders Design (53 rue Vieille du Temple, 4é): Behind the doors of this tiny shop lies a wondrous world of brightly bound books and folios, stationery and things to keep your life stylishly tidy.
Cinco de Mayo 2010 was a day worthy of celebration – beyond toasting Mexico's victory over the French with frosty margarita. Two of my oldest friends and favorite people, Chris and Vignetta, had big life-changing days. Vignetta married her longtime beau, David, in a small ceremony on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. On the other side of the country, Chris and his lovely wife, Alyse, welcomed the newest member to their growing brood: Tate.
It's all exciting stuff… congratulations to the newlyweds and the newlyparents!
I grew up in a musical family: my grandmother play any almost song on the piano by ear, my mother teaches music in the Palo Alto public schools and my father played a range of folksy instruments including guitar, country fiddle, banjo and washtub bass. Dad and his friends even had a band with the cheeky name "The Harmony Grits." I always admired his adventurous taste in music. His interests ran the gamut, from blues to classical, Simon and Garfunkel to Led Zeppelin. He devoured books about composers, bands and music history. Even though I was not blessed with musical talent, I always prefer living with music to living in silence.
My biggest offense in regards to music is that I consistently overplay the same things until everyone around me rolls their eyes. Case in point: Death Cab for Cutie. I'm a little lazy and find discovering new music I love can be a bit of a chore, so I usually rely on the advice of friends to help me diversify my collection. Over the past few months, my best music purchases have resulted from searching for things like "Cadillac CTS commercial music" on Google and then quickly adding them to my iTunes. Buick might make cars for retirees, but the ads feature The Airborne Toxic Event. Cadillac features a clip from Phoenix's brilliant album, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix." Compilations are also a great source for discovery. For instance, the movie "(500) Days of Summer" also had a splendid soundtrack featuring The Temper Trap, whose album "Conditions" makes fantastic accompaniment for running.
So the next time I find myself fast-forwarding through commercials on my DVR – I'll remember I might be passing on the opportunity to find my next favorite band.
I'm not usually one to coo over kittens, puppies or babies, subjects that fall more in the territory of Cute Overload, but this trailer for "Babies" the movie is completely charming. The documentary charts the first year of four babies from Mongolia, Namibia, Tokyo and San Francisco. The film premiers Friday May 7 in the U.S.
The director, Thomas Balmès, isn't trying to make a grand statement about cultural differences. "It's not a National Geographic film," he told WWD. "The differences between these babies are very small. All four have parents that give them attention and care. This film is simply about what it means to grow up."
The excellent music in the trailer is Sufjan Stevens "The Perpetual Self or 'What Would Saul Alinsky Do?'" from the album The Avalanche.
My perfect world? One where experiences and products always exceed expectations and are (in a word) delightful. Here I share my thoughts about my never-ending quest to discover and create memorable customer experiences.
