Condé Nast and Adobe collaborate on digital magazine

Publisher Condé Nast and Adobe Systems are developing a digital-magazine application to be compatible with laptops, netbooks, smart phones, and upcoming electronic slate devices.

Wired magazine, which covers tech news and information, will be the first to adapt the app, which will produce full-color, high-resolution images to replicate the experience of reading a print publication with the convenience of the internet.

This collaboration will bring magazine content into digitalized form for devices available in 2010.
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Big Reds For A Little Green

Happy Friday! If you don't already have your reds picked out for the holiday season and would like some suggestions, one good place to start is Wine Spectator . The contributors are among the worlds leading wine experts. If you want to enjoy a good bottle, impress your guests with an award wining selection but want something in the lowest price point available, The list(click image to enlarge) above represent the top 10 reds from the top 100 overall wine list for under $30.00. Below are 3 of my current favorites that did not make the cut but I still enjoy.


My over all favorite is the Duck Horn. However, that bottle rarely graces my table:-(....

Happy Holidays

Cartier Exhibition At The Legion Of Honor Museum

December 19, 2009, to April 18, 2010
Legion of Honor Museum
Lincoln Park
34th Avenue & Clement Street
San Francisco, CA 94121
Tickets: $16.00-$20.00

Although San Francisco is only a 90 minute drive away, it's 60 minutes too long for me. I hate hate driving or even sitting in a car for more than 30 minutes. However, the opportunity to see the Cartier exhibit at the beautiful Legion of Honor will make the drive worthwhile.

Cartier and America covers the history of the House of Cartier from its first great successes as the “king of jewelers and jeweler to kings” during the Belle Epoque through to the 1960s and 1970s, when Cartier supplied celebrities of the day with their jewels and luxury accessories. Derived mainly from the private Cartier Collection housed in Geneva, the spectacular array of more than 200 objects includes jewelry of the Gilded Age and Art Deco periods, as well as freestanding works of art such as the famous Mystery Clocks. With an extensive variety of jewelry forms—ranging from traditional white diamond suites to the highly colored exotic creations of the 1920s and 1930s—Cartier made its mark with the ingenuity of its designs and its exquisite craftsmanship. The exhibition, open December 19, 2009, to April 18, 2010, is exclusive to the Legion of Honor. This exhibit concentrates on pieces owned by Americans, including a pair of rock crystal and diamond bracelets worn by Gloria Swanson in the movie Sunset Boulevard, Daisy Fellowes’s famous “Tutti Frutti” necklace, and the exotic flamingo brooch made for the Duchess of Windsor. Private lenders in the United States and France have contributed significant pieces to the exhibition. For the first time, an American museum will feature the personal jewelry of Princess Grace of Monaco from the time of her wedding to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, in 1956.

Patiala necklace from Cartier's "Haute Joillerie Collection" exhibition from December 2008 in Miami, Florida

The famous Patiala necklace was made in 1928 for Maharaja of Patiala in India in 1928. The original necklace was just under 1,000 carats featuing 2,930 diamonds which included the golf ball sized DeBeers gem 0f 234.69 carats.



Louis-Francois Cartier

(from Fahrney's Pens)
The House of Cartier was founded in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier. The "king of jewelers" satisfied the desires of pashas and princes from his workshop in Paris, creating objects of beauty and excellence. These same imperatives continue to inspire Cartier designers today resulting in a line of exquisite writing instruments and accessories all bearing the Cartier signature of style.
In 1874, Cartier's son Alfred took over the business and expanded it considerably. That included watches, which Louis-Francois had only dabbled in. In 1899, Alfred's son Louis Cartier entered the firm. Louis Cartier was a great lover of mechanical pocket watches and wanted the company to build its own watches.

The Yusupov Palace & Grigori Rasputin

(Yusupov Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia)

I was tuned in to Turner Classic Movies over the weekend and saw part of the 1971 movie Nicholas and Alexandra. The film's subject matter covered one of my favorite historical subjects, Tsarist Russia, so I was captured by the movie instantly. When it covered the topic of Rasputin and his murder, I was especially attentive because I was fortunate enough to visit the Yusupov Palace on the Moika river in St. Petersburg; the scene of the historic killing. There, I saw the exhibit in Prince Yusupov's former apartments in the palace's basement that depicts how the rooms looked the night Grigori Rasputin was assassinated. Rasputin was a peasant monk from a small village in Siberia who befriended the Tsaritsa Alexandra because of her belief that he was a gifted healer. The exhibit has furniture, paintings, objets, family photographs of the Romanovs, Yusupovs and other decorative items from the era. The movie brought back the excitement of my visit so I pulled out my book on the palace and the famous Yusupov family to share some information that I learned from the trip.
The family can trace its descent from the ancient Tartar khans who ruled the plains centuries ago. In the 16th Century, Khan Yussuf formed an alliance with Ivan the Terrible and that was the first link with the Russian royal family. Over time, they converted from the Muslim church to the Orthodox church and changed their name to Yusupov. Along the way, they were made princes of Russia by the Romanovs. In 1916, the Yusupov's were increasingly alarmed at the deteriorating popularity of the Tsar and believed Rasputin's influence over the Tsarina Alexandra was harmful and causing the royal couple to ignore their responsibilities. Prince Felix Yusopov and Archduke Dmitri Pavlovitch Romanov invited Rasputin to the Yusupov palace on December 16, 1916. There, they fed him wine and cakes laced with poison. According to legend, the poison did not do the trick so they shot him, beat him and threw him into the frozen Neva River. The killing did not save the royal family, but it may have saved both the lives of Prince Yusupov and the Archduke because they were both exiled from St. Petersburg before the revolution and eventually escaped Russia. In fact Archduke Dmitri Pavlovitch Romanov went on to have an affair with Coco Chanel in 1921 and introduced her to the perfumers in Grasse, France which led to the famous Chanel No 5 fragrance.


A glimpse inside the
Yusupov Palace


Palace Theatre


This is the Yusupov family's private theatre located in the palace.

The theater has been herald as one the world's most impressive theaters with its gilded gold ornaments throughout the theater.

The ceiling up close is just unbelievable. The Yusupov's had the theater designed to impress the Tsar of Russia and also other kings and queens of Europe that visited Saint Petersburg.




Palace Staircase

One of the fabulous staircases in the palace with a grand chandelier.


The Red Room
Interior decoration 1830's -architect A. Mikhailov

This room is known as the Golden, or Imperial Drawing Room because of its collection of portraits of the ruling monarch on the central wall of the room.

The parquetry floors consist of various types of tropical wood which were laid around the 1830's. The walls covered in crimson colored silk.

The Green Room

The color scheme of the Green room is emphasized by the fireplace mantel made of Ural
malachite in the Russian mosaic technique. Installed by the architect I. Monigetty in 1860.



The Blue Room

The Louis XVI style furniture pieces were acquired around the 1840's.



(The wonderful palace interior photos courtesy of world traveler Galen R. Frysinger at galenfrysinger.com )

Howards Blend

I had to have these images of designer Howard Slatkin's New York City apartment on my blog to enjoy the view from time to time. If you are not already aware of it, these photos of Slatkin's apartment along with the "before" images were featured in the October 20th issue of New York magazine. The minute I saw the first picture, I thought of the Russian palaces in St. Petersburg. Low and behold, when I read the captions I learned there were Russian influences abound! I also thought of Tony Duquette's sumptuous interiors.

Slatkin's ability to blend and/or layer so many textures,patterns and colors together in such a harmonious fashion is amazing. I love the blue and white delft tiles on the walls and ceiling with the beautiful floors that replicate those in a seventeenth-century Dutch painting.

This is the library with the bathroom in the back. The floors are a marquetry pattern Slatkin saw at the Charlottenburg palace in Berlin. He had them installed by hand by Russian artisans.

The beautiful collection of porcelain birds on the Louis XVI and Regency wall sconces are Chinese exports that Slatkin inherited from his grandmother. To see more photos and the complete article by Wendy Goodman, visit New York magazine online.

Welcome To Prince Charles Town?

If you're a traditional design lover add Poundbury, England to your travel wish list. The latest issue of Travel & Leisure did an article on this small urban extension in England on the outskirts of Dorchester in Dorset county.

Championed by Prince Charles, this suburb is a master planned community that adheres to strict building covenants that require architectural designs embracing only traditional ideals.

The narrow streets are lined with neo Georgian , Victorian and Arts and Crafts style homes. Even though the oldest buildings are only sixteen years old, by design they look as though they have stood in the countryside forever.

Many facades are covered in vines and slate roofs have moss growing on them. Elements of modernity are hidden from view; no satellite dishes, meter boxes, exhaust vents on the sides of buildings or garbage cans are to be seen.

Of course, not everyone is as excited about Poundbury. Modern design architects have complained that Prince Charles is thwarting a democratic planning process by insisting on traditional building designs in the town.

Critics have derisively referred to it as Charleyville. Others describe the facades as resembling a Dickensian workhouse which were once found in Victorian towns.

Personally, I love the idea and would love to live here. I have a dislike for the planned communities I have seen here in California which die hard urban-ites refer to as "beige" neighborhoods. What I especially like about Poundbury is knowing you get a historic look with period architectural elements without the repair or renovation challenges. The best of both worlds.

All Hallows Eve Wishes

As I start to prepare for tonight's festivities, I wanted to take the time to wish everyone a very happy and safe Halloween from my family to yours.

98% (this is unbelievable...try this test and see if you come up with the same answer

At the end of this message, you are asked a question.
Answer it immediately.

Don't stop and think about it.. Just say the first thing that pops into your mind.

This is a fun 'test'... AND kind of spooky at the same time! Give it a try, then e-mail it around (including back to me) and you'll see how many people you know fall into the same percentage as you. Be sure to put in the subject line if you are among the 98% or the 2%.
You'll understand what that means after you finish taking the 'test.'

Now - just follow the instructions as quickly as possible. Do not go to the next calculation before you have finished the previous one. You do not ever need to write or remember the answers, just do it using your mind. You'll be surprised.


Start: How much is: 15 + 6
















21










3 + 56
























59







89 + 2































91







12 + 53











































65







75 + 26

































101





25 + 52

















































77







63 + 32













































95







I know! Calculations are hard work, but it's nearly over..





Come on, one more! ...















123 + 5







































128













QUICK! THINK ABOUT A COLOR AND A TOOL!

























Scroll further to the bottom....

































A bit more...

































You just thought about a red hammer, didn't you?

If this is not your answer, you are among 2% of
people who have a different, if not abnormal, mind.

98% of the folks would answer a red hammer while doing this exercise.

If you do not believe this, pass it around and you'll see.

Be sure to put in the subject line if you are among the 98% or the 2% and send to everyone, including the person that sent it to you .

Our Beloved Mary Poppins

LOVE NEVER DIES....Andrew Lloyd Webber's story continues

(from loveneverdies.com)

Today, Thursday 8 October, Andrew Lloyd Webber unveils his brand new production “LOVE NEVER DIES” at a global launch in London. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long awaited new show will have its World Premiere in London at the Adelphi Theatre on Tuesday 9 March 2010 followed by New York on Thursday 11 November and in Australia in 2011.

“LOVE NEVER DIES” continues the story of ‘The Phantom’, who has moved from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island, far across the Atlantic. Set 10 years after the mysterious disappearance of ‘The Phantom’ from Paris, this show is a rollercoaster ride of obsession and intrigue...in which music and memory can play cruel tricks...and ‘The Phantom’ sets out to prove that, indeed, “LOVE NEVER DIES”.

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