We’ve arrived in Buenos Aires!!!

After a very long trip (two 6 and a half hour flights and a detour at a slummy hotel for one night), we are finally here at Hotel Home in beautiful Buenos Aires, Argentina! We look forward to some amazing times and will have lots and lots to write about in the coming days.

We did want to share just a few images from our journey and our first moments here.

Here’s us on the plane:

Ed had a beer on the plane, of which the slogan is (in Spanish) “It is what it is”. Truth in advertising, we guess, especially since the beer was about the quality of Natural Light!:

We arrived and checked into our temporary first night digs, a shady “Embassy Suites” that has no relation to the Embassy Suites we know at home. We only stayed here overnight because our arrival into the city was after the front desk at Hotel Home closed at 11pm. It’s here that we really became aware of those little differences one notices when traveling abroad.

Check this toilet for example:

We spent 20 minutes trying to figure out how to flush the darn thing! Finally, we found that the flush button was inexplicably hidden in the shower. Why? We don’t know!

After being flummoxed with the toilet, we decided it was time to get some food. We ate at a nice little restaurant down the street and enjoyed a nice bottle of wine. Perfect way to settle in.

Now we’re checked into Hotel Home, a BEAUTIFUL boutique hotel where we’ll stay for the duration of our visit. Let the adventures begin!

San Diego Stylin’

To celebrate Ed’s big 35th birthday, we have headed down to San Diego for the weekend. We had an ulterior motive – we’ve long awaited a reason to stay at the Keating Hotel, located downtown in the Gaslamp, and finally, we have arrived! This place is fantastic – it’s designed by the famous italian design house, Pininfarina (who is best known for their Ferrari designs, but has now expanded on to even more exciting things, like architectural and industrial design). It is absolutely amazing, true italian modern at it’s best. And, with a connection to car design, and a color scheme that’s all red & white (Carrie’s fave colors), it couldn’t be better suited for the two of us!


This is what the lobby looks like!

We got an even better surprise when we arrived this afternoon – we were told at check-in that we were given a free upgrade X2, to the “Stanza Chic” – a junior suite! What could possibly be better! This is what our suite looks like:

This room is amazing. We have our own espresso machine, Bang & Olufsen electronics and a shower the size of our bathroom at home! Here are a few more photos we stole from the web, we’ll post our own later.


These are our his & her sinks in the room – this is some serious italian design! We LOVE it!


Our shower! Check out the size of that shower head on the ceiling!

We’re still a little awe-struck, so check back later for more pics and details of our trip …

And how do you finish off a Palm Springs weekend?


At The Parker, of course! So this day was Carrie’s actual birthday, and we’d been wanting to visit for a long time. The Parker was once owned by Gene Autry, and was reopened a couple years back under the creative and stylistic guidance of Jonathan Adler, one of our favorite designers. It had been redone in a very groovy late sixties/early seventies style – not so much Modernist, but a bit of regency, and a huge helping of whimsical grooviness. It got some publicity as of late thanks to being the subject of the TV show Welcome to the Parker on Bravo.



We met up with Lewis and Mary, along with Mick and Andy and Mick’s parents for an amazing brunch. Alfresco dining with incredible (but down to earth) food, and the incredible surroundings that were both “shagadelic” and dreamy all at once.


Afterwards, we walked about the grounds, and came across Samir, the manager who is one of the stars of the TV show!! He was more than happy to indulge us with a photo. Samir’s the tall, imposing man in the back.

We can’t describe just how amazing the place looks. It reminded Ed of his childhood in many ways, with very familiar early 70s materials, furnishings, textures, and colors. We have to stay here soon! Here are some more pics:


The amazing fireplace lounge…


Some competitive Ed vs. Mary ping pong…


Colored vases…



Mister Parker’s, the onsite restaurant. It’s so swingin’ London.


How do you like that bar!



The happy couple!

Pics don’t do the place justice. It’s mindblowing and just plain fun all at once.

So that’s it – that was our Palm Springs weekend #3, and a fine way to celebrate Carrie’s birthday and Valentine’s Day! I’m pretty certain you’ll see another set of blogs about this time next year….if we’re lucky, maybe we’ll be staying at the Parker!

The Glamourous Life at The Viceroy

Each time we’ve been in Palm Springs, we’ve always made it over to The Viceroy for a drink or a bite to eat. However, today was the first time we ever got to visit during the day – as spa patrons!

Ed got a nice massage and Carrie got a facial. Most importantly, we got a hearty dose of fabulousness at one of the most amazing spots here. Spa patrons = Full access to the pools, jacuzzis and grounds … and we took full advantage!




(See those nifty cabanas back there? we’re snagging one of those next time, for sure!)