Click It to Win It | Mr. and Mrs. Smith

 

When hit by pangs of wanderlust (roughly, every other day), I love to pop over to Mr. and Mrs. Smith for a peek at the world's most beautiful boutique hotels. In the most enviable task on the planet, they actually visit (and love) all the places they highlight - places like the Kelari Kovilakom in Kerala, India (above). They also have compiled all their pics into travel guides. Big, thick coffee table book-type travel guides with incredible photos and travel tips. AND I'll be giving away a couple to two lucky readers! 

Click around on the Mr. and Mrs. Smith site and leave a comment on here about the Mr. and Mrs. Smith hotel you'd currently eat your fist to visit.  On Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. ET, I'll randomly pick two of you to receive either: European Cities or European Coast and Country. Good luck! (They're really awesome).

 

When Porter and I were in Istanbul a couple years back, I think we ate at five different locations of the House Cafe. That sounds insane, but they're all just ridiculously beautiful in different way with fresh food that makes your head spin. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw that the owners had opened a hotel (The House Hotel Galatasaray). Can you even believe the shower and those floors?

The Chiawa Camp in Zambia's Lower Zambezi (with tents that have clawfoot tubs!) ain't bad, either...

(Stairs at the House Hotel)

nor is the Dar Seven in Marrakesh! But this is only the tip of the iceberg. There are country castles, beach-side huts and urban retreats that will make you cry (or book plane tickets).

UPDATE! The winners are Chad Seville and Michelle of the Red Velvet Shoe! Shoot me an email at hollister.hovey@gmail.com with your mailing address and I'll send out your books! Yay! Hope you enjoy!

Old Fashioned Sweat

Porter and I always tease her friend Chris for going into any store, finding the key grey item, pointing and saying, "Wow, that is such a great color." When it comes to walls and sweatshirts, though, he's damned right - especially when either are set off by ivory accouterments (be it crown moulding or Chucks). Uniqlo is selling vintage-style sweatshirts in amazing shades of grey (and oatmeal) for only $20 bucks this week. They're slim cut, unbelievably soft and come with the proper v-stitching at the neck. They're in the boys section, but look quite cute on the ladies.

Goofing Off With My New iPad | FlipBoard Brilliance

 

Saturday morning...

HHH angel/rational brain: You have a an iPhone, Hol, this is totally ridiculous.

HHH devil/fun brain: But your blog looks @#$^@%@ amazing on it! And you can watch Netflix in bed!

HHH angel/rational brain: You need a new computer. Don't be stupid. Just get a new computer.

Sunday afternoon at the Apple store...

Both brains in unison:  My god! For the price of the big fancy MacBook Pro, you can get a little MacBook Pro AND an iPad! (well, practically).

Both brains in unison: WAHOOOOOO!

Today after downloading the FlipBoard app...

[HHH sits at desk - in silent shock and awe - attempting to pick her chin up off her iPad]

FlipBoard takes all the gobbledygook you're supposed to read on Facebook and Twitter and makes it look like legitimately interesting things IN A MAGAZINE!  My world will never be the same. 

(My facebook friends have great taste, it seems!)

Tunes | Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

The incomparable Iris Dement belts out this old gospel song - in a very different, aching way - at the end of True Grit. Her version breaks your heart and would be perfect for a funeral. This rendition by the Blind Boys of Mississippi about half a century back makes you feel like you're already in heaven.

The Caviar of Cooking Magazines

Well...at least Three Stars looks like it is. Cyrillic fonts, clean lines, beautiful photography. I have no idea where to buy it - or read a single word - but frankly, it's completely scrumptious.

Destination: Barcelona!

The airlines seem to be interested in emptying out NYC and depositing us all in Spain (and other European nations). Case in point, this week's shocking $210 round trip deal to Barcelona on Delta. Frankly, it might be more expensive to stay home. So, this April, I'm heading to the land of the Catalans for five days of glorious sunshine, shopping, espadrilles, tapas, wine and the Praktik Rambla Hotel (one of the prettiest, utterly affordable joints I've ever seen, if these pictures are even close to reality).  Send over any suggestions of must-go locations! Would love to hear your advice!

ELLE Decoration UK - Blownin' My Mind!

About a year ago, interiors photographer Matthew Williams shot our formerly black apartment -- and yesterday, his beautiful photos hit shelves in the March issue of ELLE Decoration UK. We're so giddy it hurts! Can't thank Matthew and the wonderful folks over at ELLE (who also let me write the article!) enough.

Porter's bedroom

My bedroom

Dispatch from NOLA

I spent the last couple days in the Big Easy for a big dermatology meeting (for work).  It's fun to try to capture a city in 45 minutes of free time before the day begins. Last year, I did it in Miami. Luckily for both spots, their convention centers are sort of plopped in the thick of it - unlike New York's Javitz Center, which may as well be in New Jersey. NOLA's stretches a mile, separating the river from the industrial chic Warehouse District where you can find Aidan Gill for Men and Cochon Butcher (where they sell bacon pralines). Yesterday, I did breakfast at the breezy, marble-filled comfort food joint, Stanley, on Jackson Square (above) and then buzzed through the nearly empty (and quite magical that way) French Quarter.

From the window of the newer Aidan Gill for Men outpost near the gallery district...the other is on a great section of Magazine Street near great little antiques shops.

James H. Cohen & Sons

Gray, Flannel Suits

Irish portrait artist Reginald Gray certainly knows how to pick a well-dressed (famous) gent to paint. Above: Gian Maria Volonte, a man who knows how to wear a scarf.

Bernard Buffet

Yves Saint Laurant

Ted Hughes

Alfred Schnittke (here looking quite a bit like my friend David Coggins when he's whisker-free)

Patrick Swift

Samuel Beckett