Category Archives: World In My Eyes

Wine & Chocolate Tasting Event at the Beautiful Pantai Inn

Last Thursday, I was invited to attend a wonderful event for a great cause: Wine and chocolate tasting presented by R.A. Rauch & Associates with Eclipse Chocolate at the Pantai Inn in La Jolla, where the proceeds benefitted The Wounded Warrior Project. Prior to the tasting, I was afforded a tour by sales manager Paula Ruthenberg, who showed me around the Bali inspired hotel grounds and in one of the gorgeous luxury villas. I truly felt I was transported to another place because much of the décor, furnishings and carved art were imported directly from Bali. What a lovely backdrop to the decadence of wine paired with chocolate by Eclipse Chocolate. Thank you Kim Whittemore for the invite and everyone at Pantai Inn for a lovely evening!

The stunning views from the hotel were enhanced by soothing flamenco music by Anthony Garcia.

Entrance to the lobby.

The lobby area.

I love the Balinese details throughout the hotel, including Balinese translations of items around the lobby. Clever!

The entrance of “The Gathering Room” with a magnificent mural painted by artist Ed Piffard.

More from “The Gathering Room” where typically a Continental breakfast is served while overlooking the ocean view. Breathtaking!

Ray and Will of Eclipse Chocolate.

My favorite wine & chocolate pairing of the night was the port dessert wine paired with the Chile Burnt Caramel (pictured above). Separately, each had a tad more sweet and heat than I’m used to. Together, they balanced each other out into this smooth taste sensation.

Ray and Will with Robert Rauch of R.A. Rauch & Associates. Robert Rauch with Pantai Inn owner, Larry Jackman.

Moi! (Photo by Fritz Harmon Photography. All other photos in this post were taken by me.)

Weekend in Pictures: The 21st Annual Sicilian Festival

Hope you’re had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. We had a lovely day filled with being with family, remembering my father and his service, ending with a fabulous barbecue dinner, courtesy of my hubby and his new grill. But a couple of weekends ago, Deon, Dominic and I attended the 21st Annual San Diego Sicilian Festival in Little Italy. It was another fantastic street fair, consisting of great food, entertainment, sites and tradition. We almost didn’t go because we weren’t aware of it, but my mom said she saw it on the news and thought it would be a fun event to attend. Dominic especially had fun because of the little kiddie area and bungee jump. It’s definitely something we would like to come back to again annually, but I’ll let the rest of the pictures really tell the story of what a great time we had!

Alfa Romeo anyone?

Had pizza & a sangria at Landini’s Pizzeria (our new favorite pizza joint in Little Italy), then Sfogliatelle from Busalacchi Restaurants. Yum!

Dominic catches some air!

Getting some last-minute goodies at Mona Lisa.

This Is What I Do: Boy George in Concert

In the wake of Culture Club’s UK tour announcement (dates here), I’m finally posting my pictures from the Boy George concert my hubby and I attended last month. With Dominic in Las Vegas at the time, we were able to travel to LA for the concert, which was at The Belasco Theater, right next to The Mayan (Boy George had a concert there the following day). We were lucky we arrived early, not only because the line ended up going around the block, but because the police were in full force due to the Clippers game. In fact, we met a really nice cop while filling up at a gas station, who is a huge 80’s music and Depeche Mode fan, but regretfully didn’t know Boy George was playing that night. Later while in line, we met a lovely couple, with whom we ended up hanging out with for the duration of the evening.

Other than a near altercation between my husband and an overeager and inebriated concert goer during Church of the Poison Mind, the show was absolutely fantastic. Boy George sounded better than ever and his band was wonderful. Hats were the featured accessory, and my husband received recognition from Mr. George from the stage at the start of the concert, complimenting him on his choice of fedora for the evening. I read a lot of reviews to get a feel for what the show would be like. So I was not at all surprised to find that The Boy featured a fabulous mixture of songs from his new album This Is What I Do and crowd pleasing Culture Club songs. Comments from concert goers on different forums criticized the song choice, but I liked the mix of music: this was a Boy George concert, not a Culture Club concert. Although I would have loved to have heard Time (Clock of the Heart) live, I was nearly in tears to at least hear Victims. Deon’s favorite song was Karma Chameleon, and I really enjoyed Nice & Slow from the new album, and Everything I Own, although one obvious omission was The Crying Game. The full set list for The Mayan show can be found below, which was the same as The Belasco show, and I will add Nice & Slow live from the concert, as soon as it uploads. Oh yeah, another exciting part of the evening was hearing that Matt Goss was in the same building (I included a picture from Matt’s Twitter account). I’m so glad we made the trek to LA to see such an incredible show!

(Edited to add: Nice & Slow is now up! See the video below.)

That line went around the block!

The Boy himself!

Matt Goss with Boy George after the concert from his Twitter account *sigh*.

Edit this setlist | More Boy George setlists

The set list from The Mayan concert, which was pretty close to the show at The Belasco.

(Nice & Slow live!)

Indulge at Fashion Valley: A Mother's Day Treat!

Last Thursday was my birthday, and after I spent a wonderful morning and afternoon with my family, I attended the Mother’s Day Indulge event at Fashion Valley. As I was heading to the event, I ran into Jennifer of Malcriada, which was another wonderful treat. Also in attendance was Lisa of Mona Lisa Marie, who was on hand to style some lucky attendees, and she is SO adorable pregnant. As I type this, I realize how apropos it was that we all were in attendance for this event, as we are three San Diego Style Blogger moms (and mom to be)! There were so many things to indulge in, from food to live music, to fashion and beauty. It was quite a lovely event, and it was most definitely a nice way to end my birthday, leading into a busy weekend. Hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day with your loved ones!

Live music provided by the band Liquid Blue.

Lots of yummy food samples from restaurants throughout Fashion Valley!

Fantastic fashion and beauty finds as well.

Jennifer got a nice little refresh from Hair Drezzers On Fire (love The Smiths reference).

How. Cute. Is. Lisa?!

Jennifer has some of the best tattoos, and what an adorable retro dress!

My outfit: Zara sweater, Madewell denim leggings, Miista Val Tex booties; Suki Bijoux necklace; Eva glasses c/o Bonlook

(Photo courtesy of Jennifer)

Love this gal!

Fashion Valley News: A Stylish Treat For Mother's Day & The Arrival of TOPSHOP & TOPMAN to San Diego!

Hooray for fun happenings and awesome grand openings at Fashion Valley!

Firstly, Fashion Valley presents Indulge: A Stylish Treat for Mothers, presented by Diet Coke. It will take place tomorrow night (my birthday, May 8, 2014). I’ll be there, and I hope to see you there as well!

At Indulge, event attendees can do much more than just shop for spring style must-haves. Moms and their friends can experience fashion tips from Francesca’s, The Walking Company and Tous Jewelry, style consultations, beauty services from Carlton Hair Salon and Day Spa: Fashion Valley, gadget bar from Microsoft Store, delicious refreshments and drinks, plus special event giveaways from Harlequin® books and retailer offers throughout the mall. Additional Indulge offerings include:

Mini-Style Makeover Giveaway: During the first 30 minutes of the event, three lucky attendees will be selected to experience a free mini-fashion makeover. Lisa Moore of fashion blog Mona Lisa Marie and Style Setter for the center will surprise women at random with the chance to shop for a new look, receive expert style advice and reveal their new ensemble at the end of the event.

Mixology Stations: Mixologists will shake up appealing drink combinations for moms to sample and explain how to replicate recipes at home. Bacardi will be sampling their Grey Goose Le Melon Vodka brand.

Food Sampling: Moms can try samples from some of the area’s best restaurants and hear about the latest food trends. Moms can try lite bites from Stacked, appetizers fromCalifornia Pizza Kitchen, and healthy desserts from Pinkberry, as well as hear about the latest food trends.

Stylish Sounds: Local musical performers like Liquid Blue and a live DJ spinning tunes will transform the mall’s atmosphere into a chic, lively entertainment event venue.

Diet Coke Sampling:Enjoy a refreshing ice cold Diet Coke.

Chicest Mom Photo Op:Moms can walk the red carpet and strike a pose as they remember the night with a fun photo op and share their experience via social media (#indulgeatsimon).

Swag Bags: Swag bags containing retailer offers and discounts will be given to the first 200 shoppers who register at the event on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Many moms are long overdue for – and certainly deserve – a break to celebrate themselves and all they do,” said Jayne Stilson, Assistant Vice President of Business Development at Simon Property Group. “That’s why Simon Malls are hosting Indulge events just for them, where moms can shop, socialize and be recognized for the important role they play in our lives.”

Simon Malls’ Indulge events are free and open to women of all ages. For more information, visit shopfashionvalleymall.com. Follow Fashion Valley at www.facebook.com/FashionValleyMall, www.twitter.com/fashionvalleycaor www.instagram.com/fashionvalleyca/.

Secondly, I’m beyond excited to announce that TOPSHOP and TOPMAN are opening jointly at Fashion Valley this fall! Read all about it below!

TOPSHOP AND TOPMAN TO TOP OFF FASHION VALLEY

First-in-market TOPSHOP to Join Retail Scene at Fashion Valley

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (May 5, 2014) – Get excited for the British invasion San Diego fashion connoisseurs! TOPSHOP and TOPMAN, the men’s version of the British fashion retailer, will be calling Simon Property Group’s (NYSE: SPG) Fashion Valley home this fall, with its first-in-market joint stores in San Diego.

Known as a major British fashion authority with more than 440 stores in 37 countries, TOPSHOP and TOPMAN are slated to open 17,500-square-foot adjoining stores on the lower level of Fashion Valley, near JCPenney.

“We are beyond thrilled to have TOPSHOP and TOPMAN call Fashion Valley their San Diego home,” said Chris Lane, director of marketing and business development at Fashion Valley. “The addition of this iconic retailer will up the fashion game in San Diego, even further establishing Fashion Valley as the premier retail and lifestyle center in this region.”

The retailer specializes in trend-driven fashion, which includes glamorous pieces for going out, footwear, accessories, an extensive selection of denim and jewelry, and TOPSHOP Make-Up. Founded in 1964, TOPSHOP is a pioneer of design collaboration with young talent and fashion icons.

TOPSHOP and supermodel Kate Moss recently launched their spring/summer 2014 collection, a range of pieces encapsulating the British fashion icon’s unique style. Key design categories for this collection include Balearic Dressing, Pyjama Dressing, Cocktail Hour and Tailoring Noir.

San Diego’s TOPSHOP is one of just four new store openings for the retailer in the U.S. by 2015. It’s also slated to open the second largest TOPSHOP and TOPMAN flagship store in the world at 40,000 square feet, on Fifth Avenue in New York this fall.

(Thank you Noelle from Curator PR for allowing me to share these exciting happenings at Fashion Valley! Photos 1 & 2 courtesy of Fashion Valley.)

(FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.)

Weekend in Pictures: The SoCal Etsy Guild Market

This weekend was quite the busy one! My mother-in-law was in town for a conference on Friday, so she requested that we hang out on Saturday, going anywhere and everywhere throughout San Diego. We started our day off at The Headquarters near Seaport Village and browsed around the SoCal Etsy Guild Market. Although the weather here in San Diego during the weekend was quite temperamental, going between hot, cold and rainy, we stuck it out to take a look around and even listened a bit to the live band.

The Headquarters at Seaport District invites you to a unique San Diego event. SoCal Etsy Guild Market will feature Southern California’s premier handmade artisan vendors in the beautiful setting of our intimate, outdoor courtyard. The market will include live art & music and free children’s activities. All products featured at the market will be handmade, vintage, artisanal food or art. This collection of merchants is one you won’t want to miss. Support local artists and buy handmade at the SoCal Etsy Guild Market, Saturday April, 26th from 10 am – 5 pm.

– From The Headquarters Website

Afterwards, we headed up to The Forum at Carlsbad (again); then had a snack at Harbor Fish Café (my mother-in-law’s favorite little fish shack); bought some confections at The Chocolate Bar; shopped a little at The Beat Clothing; dropped off our sleepy little boy at home with Nana before heading back to Fashion Valley Mall for some final shopping. Whew! That was quite the whirlwind of taking in as much of San Diego as we could in just one day! She then brought our little one up to Las Vegas for the week while my hubby and I do some spring cleaning, which includes setting up our vinyl listening area (pictures to come). Although we were all over San Diego, I took most of my pictures at the SoCal Etsy Guild Market, featuring a couple of booths where I made some lovely purchases. Hope you had a great weekend!

As we entered, we were greeted by the cutest little cast of characters from The Yarn Crate.

Immediately smitten by the donut, I purchased it along with some equally adorable macarons (all of which are going to be on display on my desk at work)!

My final purchase of the day was from Cirello Gallery, featuring laser cut stainless steel jewelry.

I purchased the hand cut gold plated skull pendant. Right up my alley!

To learn more about the SoCal Etsy Guild and possibly join, click here. Also follow them on Twitter at @SoCalEtsyGuild and Facebook!

Images From the Grand Opening of Madewell at The Forum Carlsbad

This past Wednesday, my husband and I attended the grand opening party of the new Madewell at The Forum Carlsbad. As you know from previous posts, I started a love affair with Madewell last year (posts here and here), so I just had to visit this new location. Note: I thought I knew every mall in San Diego, but I have never been to The Forum Carlsbad until that night! I also saw a familiar face: Lauryn, who worked at the UTC location, is now the stylist at the Carlsbad one. I want to thank Lauryn, Scott and Amanda for making me feel well taken care of, even though they were very busy that evening! I’m definitely going back to The Forum Carlsbad to explore it a little more, and of course to do more shopping at Madewell. Have a great weekend!

Such a fun, yet frenzied event. Loved the bar, the food and the DJ!

I adore the displays at Madewell. It’s a perfect grab-and-go bag for a weekend summer getaway!

Free tote with purchase (Bien Fait means “well done” in French).

Also free with purchase: A lovely original piece by local illustrator, designer and blogger, Kelly Murray.

Good night!

Record Store Day 2014 Fun & Finds

Another successful Record Store Day has come and gone, and of course, Lou’s Records has come through for me, yet again! This time, my hubby and son came with me, and we all woke up early to make the trek to Encinitas to grab some #RSD2014 exclusives. If you recall, my main goal was to grab the An Ideal for Living EP re-release by Joy Division. I actually ended up getting that and so much more. But I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves. If you went to Record Store Day this year, what was your most favorite find?

There was quite the line when we arrived. I was number 99 at 9:30 am.

Doing a little record shopping while waiting for our turn. Dominic helped daddy look for something special…and it looks like he found some Depeche Mode for me!

Dominic is so very patient and can keep himself occupied in any situation, as long as he has my iPhone.

Ready to get home with my treasures!

#RSD2014 finds: An Ideal for Living EP re-release by Joy Division; Indie Candy by the Pixies; Ready Boy & Girls? by Tears For Fears (it’s a white vinyl 10 inch).

Awesome #RSD2014 freebies that came with every purchase, and I had two bags worth! The Beatles bag was on the counter, and were free upon request (I got two and gave the other to my niece).

An exclusive #RSD2014 shirt made by the folks at Lou’s Records. LOVE IT!

“Vintage” finds: Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls/Tubular Bells by Book of Love promotional 12 inch; 2×4 by Guadalcanal Diary; 1987 Tour promo of New Order, Echo & The Bunnymen & Gene Loves Jezebel 9 inch flexi-disc (the Lou’s folks said they had two on hand for a long time, and they both sold on RSD); Happy Families by Blancmange; U.K. Squeeze promotional copy; Queen compilation CD; Turn Back The Clock 80’s compilation CD for Pottery Barn (close up below because it’s a great CD).

Weekend in Pictures: Easter 2014

I’m putting together a post about our Record Store Day adventures from this past Saturday, which will be posted later this week (I’m so very excited to share my vinyl treasures with all of you). In the meantime, here are some Easter pictures, both from our family get together on Easter, and a few of my niece’s Easter outfit. Honorable mention goes to one of my cousins who made those “Peep Pops” in that top picture (don’t know who made them). Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Easter weekend!

Getting ready for the egg hunt!

Mei-Lin used The Beatles bag I got for her from Record Store Day to collect her egg hunting treasures.

Dominic paused for just a bit before grabbing more eggs (wearing H&M shirt & sneakers, Zara hat).

Quite the haul!

Mei-Lin’s Easter outfit for her picture with the Easter Bunny. I’m telling you, she’s a natural for a future blogger!

(All pictures of Mei-Lin were taken or provided by Rholnna Jiao.)

Weekend in Pictures: Out & About in Downtown San Diego

Isn’t San Diego beautiful? I’m sure to the casual observer, it’s not hard to believe. But for a native like me, I tend to take this gorgeous city for granted. Every now and again, I’m reminded of it’s beauty when I take time to stroll around, like we did a couple of weekends ago. Since my Blink Lash Boutique appointment was nestled conveniently in Little Italy (original post here), we decided to make a day of it and re-acquaint ourselves with this fantastic city. We started with lunch at Princess Pub & Grille; then had dessert at Fabrison’s French Creperie Café; took a pedicab ride to Seaport Village and The Headquarters (I loved Kitson!); and finished with pizza slices at Landini’s Pizzeria back in Little Italy. We found out about a Farmer’s Market while in Little Italy, and vowed to return because while it seemed like a wonderful prospect, we were not prepared to face the crowds that day. We would have arrived much earlier than lunch to tackle a day at an open market! All in all, it turned out to be such a wonderful day and I know my husband and I want to do more easy days like this out and about in our beloved city of San Diego. Hope you had a great weekend!

Some history of the famous Little Italy landmark sign.

Dominic appropriately wore a Union Jack tee while lunching at Princess Pub & Grille (top by Zara Kids).

Having a yummy Lemon & Sugar crepe with my favorite little boy. He’s not so into sweets, but I definitely am! (Mint floral scarf c/o Fresh Picks)

My hubby always stops at Hot Licks in Seaport Village to see what new spicy goodness they have to offer.

My two favorite people in the world in my favorite picture of the day at Seaport Village. It reminds me of when my sister used to do this with my dad.

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