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cerulean travelogue
dreaming of faraway places...
dreaming of your adventures...
We want to hear about your great adventures around the world! Email us your stories and we will share some of them with our readers on the Cerulean travelogue! Email stories and a picture, if possible, to info@shopcerulean.com.
 passport dc...
Matt Lauer concluded his “Where in the World” series today, traveling to five countries in five days. Grueling, but a team of producers, reporters and staff make the trip easier, as Lauer lands and hits the airwaves with all the info he needs. (That corporate jet to take him from country to country helps, too)
Now you, too, can have all of this excitement, adventure, and world travel without the jet lag, airport security, or passport. Thanks to an organization called Cultural Tourism DC, the Embassies of the world are opening their doors to you and yours for an unprecedented behind the scenes experience. Meet the Ambassadors, wander around their stately rooms, witness dance, art and local culture, all without leaving the
United States. (I guess that’s not technically right, as each Embassy’s ground is technically their home soil… but you get the idea). Spanning two weeks and 5 continents, this amazing cultural experience will broaden your horizons and allow you to escape on a world tour without worrying about those ever-worsening exchange rates.
Some highlights of
Passport
DC include:
- Tango lessons at the Argentine Embassy- yes you!
- Drum presentation by one-man-band Okyerema Asante from
Ghana who plays 85 instruments and has performed on three world tours with Fleetwood Mac and Paul Simon
- Café de Paris serves up pastries with coffee and champagne at the French Embassy
- Peruvian Artisan Marketplace will be selling handmade jewelry, alpaca accessories, traditional pottery, tapestry, and wood and silver pieces
- A live steelpan performance of Calypso music at the Embassy of
Trinidad and Tobago
- Port wine and Portuguese custard tarts served at the Embassy of Portugal
- Tableau Flamenco at the Spanish Embassy
- and my favorite… The Embassy of Pakistan will turn its courtyard into a traditional Pakistani marketplace featuring antique and modern jewelry, Pakistani dresses, cuisine, and a Henna artist
You will notice all our recommendations seem to center on food, beverages and shopping, but really, is there any better way to get to know a culture than through your stomach and your wallet? Visit the link below for dates, times and all the info you need for some world travel!
Bon voyage.
train travel...
I will get the rare chance to travel by train this weekend, and am wishing it was so much more common a mode of transportation for Americans. Why is our rail system so under used?
My first experience with a train trip was as a child, traveling in
Europe with the entire family. I will never forget it… after flying into
Paris for the Christmas holidays and spending a few days, we were traveling to
Strasbourg on the German border for some snowy days exploring the town. In preparation for the trip from
Paris to
Strasbourg, I was allowed to go to a traditional French patisserie and buy provisions for the entire family. I bought what any young girl would buy when presented with breads and treats of all sorts- tarts. The most gorgeous strawberry and raspberry tarts with a shinny glaze and pistachios dashed here and there were tied neatly in a white cardboard box with twine. I carried the box like a treasure to the station and held it carefully in my lap until we were allowed to open it.
The train was as exciting to me as the tarts. My entire family found a box to ourselves with two bench seats facing each other and a door to close it off. I thought surely only princesses traveled like this, in private boxes on romantic trains heading through snowy fields. I had no idea the entire train was made of boxes, and to the locals, it probably signaled an old, out of date train. To me, it was heaven. As soon as
Paris faded into the distance and the snowy white fields opened up ahead, I was allowed to untie the strings on my delicious package of pastries and share them with everyone around. To this day, French tarts make me think of an exciting voyage- a romantic means of travel.
My travel this weekend is slightly less romantic- DC to
New York City- but will be a break from the usual hustle and bustle of airport security, turnpikes and interstates. I can open a book, have a coffee, and take in the scenery. It’s like stepping into another place, or another time perhaps. Here’s hoping that one day we all travel this way.
I’m taking the new chocolate leather carry-on for this voyage.
See what’s in the bag below…
Scarf- I never travel without a scarf. If its chilly (or dirty) or I need a pillow, it cant be beat. It also adds a bit of flair to my outfit when I step off the plane or train looking less than perfect.
Tunic- Nothing is more comfortable for traveling than a breezy, loose tunic. It covers, its comfortable, and its oh-so chic. I’m wearing this one from Virginia Johnson with my denim trousers for a casual, comfortable, but polished look.
Flats- I never travel in heels. Whether hoping on a train, schlepping through security, or dragging a suitcase in and out of taxis, chic flats are the only way to go. I love these snakeskin ballets.
Chocolate Leather Carry On- This gorgeous pebbled leather bag holds everything I need for a weekend trip, plus all the amenities needed for the actual traveling. Essential interior pockets keep me organized and keep my smaller items from falling beneath mounds of clothes. An optional shoulder strap helps out when I get tired, too.
What’s in the carry on?
I’m never without my moleskin diary, perfect for jotting thoughts, keeping track of phone numbers, or sketching new design ideas for our emerging line of dresses. I also keep a beverage on hand. I’m addicted to Orangina (its so refreshing!) and the glass bottles keep my conscience happy with all the news of the perils of plastic bottles! I reuse it by filling it with water to drink, or with olive oil to serve at parties. I’m bringing along a big stack of Cerulean Spring catalogs for all my friends I will see, and the latest book I’m reading, Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert. I might be the last woman on the planet to read this best seller (things have been busy lately, ok?) but nothing is better than a good book about not just travel, but a journey.
Happy travels.
the open road…
Driving from one state to another over the weekend, the sun was shining, fresh spring grasses knee high were waving along the side of the road, and the medians were filled with clover. It makes opening the sunroof an obligation, really, and upbeat music, necessary. While my weekend jaunt was nothing exciting (except for the beautiful day), I was reminded of two amazing road trips I’ve taken in my life and I couldn’t help but reminisce and ponder the wonder of a good, long stretch of road on a spectacular day.
I once drove the long trek from the Southeastern US all the way to
Jackson Hole,
Wyoming. I was blown away by the ever changing landscape on that trip and have never forgotten it: lush trees throughout the Southeast gave way to low lying lands across
Arkansas. Then the sky opened up and the land streamed out for miles through
Oklahoma and
Kansas. We stopped for the night at the ranch of a friend a few hours outside of
Denver, where the small pasture in front of the house was 500 acres. We then made our way through the wide canyons and dusty fields of southern
Wyoming. Every American should have to drive across the country at least once in their life, just to see it, and hopefully be moved.
 I also will never forget my summer of road trips throughout
Australia behind the wheel (on the other side, remember) of a white 1972 Mercedes coupe. She was gorgeous, we called her Betty. She had a cattle guard on her front bumper- a occupational hazard for many cars in
Queensland, as crashes with kangaroos will tear up a car (and can be fatal) if you collide with one on a dark stretch of road. But Betty was gorgeous, steel bumper cage and all.
I drove every highway in
Queensland, from the dusty outback lands to the jungles of the coast. We hit every stop from Surfer’s
Paradise to the massive cattle stations hours from civilization. We changed Betty’s tires too many times to count, as rocks on unpaved roads proved too much. We even dipped down into
New South Wales and crossed the great dingo fence- an actual fence built across thousands of miles to control the dingo population. We crossed it at the top of a mountain on an unpaved road, and you literally have to get out of your car and open it to pass. We crossed one lane bridges where you can’t see the other side, and too often made turns onto the wrong side of the road (its harder to catch on to that driving on the left thing than you’d think!)
All of this is to say that you learn so much about a place by hitting its roads and spending time behind the wheel, stopping here and there to get a snack and shake a stranger’s hand. It’s not as quick, and perhaps not as glamorous, as some other means of travel (i.e. a private jet, which you won’t see me turn down, either) but you come away from the trip a bit wiser when you let the journey reign as important as the destination.
shoes, shoes, shoes...
I have an obsession with shoes. While I have battled this addiction from an early age, the days spent working in the shoe industry brought my obsession to gargantuan proportions. Imagine being surrounded day in and day out with glorious shoes- stacks of them toppling over your desk, each one encrusted with jewels or flowers or ribbons or shells. Exquisite shoes made in Italy with the finest leathers and the most elaborate adornments became a part of everyday life. How fabulous can it get… I even spent a good deal of time in Italy working with the factory, overseeing fit models, sorting through thousands of colors of baby-soft leathers from some of the top suppliers in the world. You come to recognize quality, fit, and the ideal cut of a shoe- traits moving beyond color and adornment, down to what is most elemental about a shoe, and what really makes a good one stand apart from the rest.
While I have a closet full of stiletto heels with every form of adornment imaginable from those lovely days working in New York, we at Cerulean seem to be obsessed with flats and that is what you find on our pages (web or catalog). I have one very special pair of “flats” in my possession that I thought I would share. Cerulean’s favorite world traveler extraordinaire brought me these incredible shoes from Pakistan a few years ago. Handmade in a Punjabi village by a local artisan, the tomato red leather is hand embroidered in various shades of oranges with pink and black. Fantastic pom poms adorn the Minaret-shaped tongue and silver rivets add decoration. The leather sole was nailed on with small brass tacks and the lining is absolutely perfect and supple.
They come no where near fitting my foot, nor would I wear them if they did, but rather have them as an objet to look at every day. My two favorite features are this: each shoe came stuffed with a packet of home-dried potpourri of unidentifiable flower petals possessing a smell with a definite spice, and the sole of each shoe is inscribed with Arabic handwriting, which I am as yet unable to translate. How amazing to have some Punjabi Artisan’s handwriting on the soles of your shoes, perhaps telling the story of the shoe, or of the shoe maker's life. Maybe it curses the silly girl who buys shoes to watch and not to wear. Either way, when we are able to translate, I will let you know…
theater district...
The arrival of our newest line, Hoss Intropia, has me dreaming of
Madrid. The line was founded there in 1994 and has been amazing the European market ever since with its eclectic and feminine clothes and accessories. The word Intropia is not found in dictionaries but is the union of two words, interior and utopia, which, according to Hoss, together makes up a philosophy not only of fashion but of life. It’s easy to find YOUR inner utopia wandering the beautiful streets on the
Salamanca district in
Madrid.
Filled with brick streets, stately town homes and perfectly manicured shrubbery along the street corners, the
Salamanca district centers around Calle Serrano, the ultimate shopping destination when in
Madrid. Serrano is filled with luxurious shops of every European designer, perfect for window shopping if nothing more, as well as tapas bars and elegant restaurants.
I once spent a good bit of time in
Madrid, and am inordinately obsessed with its laid back atmosphere, delectable tapas and vibrant culture. Once, after a long day wandering the shops of Serrano, I stumbled upon a unique restaurant, worth visiting just for the décor alone.
Teatriz, located on Calle Hermosilla, was one of Philippe Starck’s designs of the early nineties. However it is no less relevant today, with a stunning mix of old and new. Built in a theater from the 1920’s, Teatriz combines domed ceilings with blue techno lighting, marble and gilt tables with unisex bathrooms, modern cuisine with old world glamour and a steady dose of elegant cocktails.
Without pretending to be a food or design critic, we recommend you check out this gem on a back street in
Salamanca next time you visit
Madrid. Its standing room only in the old theater foyer where haute cuisine versions of traditional Spanish tapas are served. The dining room is elegant where the theater seats once stood, and a bar rests on the stage where all the world can see and be seen. The restrooms are a highlight of the experience, so don’t miss them.
Teatriz might break your bank, or put a dent in it, but
Madrid has plenty of other cheap eats to round out your trip. Stop by one of the Museo de Jamons, literally the
Museum of
Ham, for a real culinary… um, experience… worth having.
ready for our closeup...
When the call came in recently that some photographers wanted to shoot our offices for a magazine, I did what any girl would do- get in the chair of my favorite stylist for the entire afternoon of the shoot and get glammed as much as possible. While sitting there being pampered with glosses and conditioners, treatments of all kinds, I had a sort of flash back to a hair experience not quite so pleasant, and I had to share it.
A few years back, a friend and I were in
London on a girl’s trip full of shopping at Selfridge’s, perusing stacks of
Liberty fabrics, and usually a few too many Guinness’. One day over a lunch family style at Wagamama (amazing noodle bar- must try it), my friend mentioned that she had found the Vidal Sassoon Academy, where all the best students of hair learn their trade. The best news is you could get cuts from these geniuses-in-the-making for pennies. We made appointments for the following day.
While waiting for our appointments, they make you fill out a short questionnaire, similar to the one you fill out as a new patient in a doctors office, but instead of family medical history and past procedures, they want to know of past procedures of another kind: how often do you color your hair, how often do you get it cut, styled, by whom, how much, and on and on. I never knew my hair had such a history. The final question asked how much freedom you will give the Vidal Sassoon student when cutting your hair. Will you let them go wild? I, of course, said no way, while my friend replied, why not?
She was the wiser, here. By not being daring, I was stuck with the beginners of hair school, just now learning to trim and blow dry for the very first time. My darling dresser didn’t speak a word of English and took an hour and half to blow dry my hair. I think she must of done it one strand at a time. I ended up with the worst haircut of my life, and it took hours. The whole ordeal was more than I could bare, and I more or less told her to wrap it up and relieve me of this misery.
My friend, on the other hand, emerged stunningly similar to Gweneth Paltrow in Sliding Doors, with a short, bleach blond bob of phenomenal proportions. Her willingness to walk on the wild side landed her a spot in the advanced class, where stylists learned advanced tricks of the trade, and even some experienced stylists return for new tips.
The moral of this story, my dear friends, is not “be daring” or “walk on the wild side”. It’s to pay big money for hair styles from people with licenses. So there.
But back to our photoshoot… we pulled it together and were able to hide the usual clutter of shoe boxes, crates of accessories, bolts and fabric, and all the other fun but completely messy things that normally cover Cerulean’s headquarters, and convey a sense of order we seldom see. The only pictures we have at present are sans staff, but see below to get a feel for the place that gets our creative juices flowing, the place where we bring items from all over the world straight to you! Happy shopping!
a last minute getaway…
Spring is upon us and we all have the itch to getaway. If you’re looking for a last minute trip, but don’t want your average experience, visit Estancia Huechahue (pronounced way-cha-way) in
Argentina. But you better hurry up- they close for the season in April.
A working cattle ranch in
Patagonia, Huechahue is the perfect place to have that authentic gaucho experience. Four generations of family have owned this self-sufficient working cattle ranch and oasis in the middle of the Patagonian Steppe. This is not a place for tourists looking to ride for an hour- it’s a real, working cattle ranch, and you get to go along for the ride.
This rugged and wild retreat offers, obviously, horse back riding, fly fishing for wild brown and rainbow trout, relaxing walks, bird watching, pool and tennis, and a Jack Nichlaus golf course just 45 minutes drive away. The best thing is to take part in an authentic cattle drive, offered just a few times a year when the seasons change and the herds need to be moved. (no riding experience necessary, but you will get more out of the trip if you’ve at least done a bit…)
We love it for the rugged glamour, the gauchos in their berets and leather chaps, the intense aroma of meat cooking over an open pit asado style, and the complete peace and quiet.
One more reason to love it, as if you needed another reason- Huechahue is the epitome of genuine sustainability. They not only have a water driven turbine, home grown produce, and orchards galore, but they also plants all their own trees to use for firewood for heating and hot water, making the Estancia essentially carbon neutral. They implement natural grazing habits
 for their herds, and never use pesticides or fertilizer for the produce. They even choose riding trails in areas with soil stability- talk about going the extra mile. Huechahue says their sustainability rests not just on a love for the land, but on years of necessity due to the remote location! Call it accidental eco-tourism.
Visit their website to learn more about what they offer, and be sure to pack all your Cerulean gear- strappy leather thongs, sumptuous scarves, big totebags and exotic jewelry perfect for the jaunt southward.
dreaming of mediterranean marketplaces...
Last summer a friend brought me the most amazing straw tote bag from
Tunisia and I’m obsessed. While shopping the fish market in La Goulette, which overlooks the stunning
Gulf of
Tunis, a local woman urged my friend to pick up one of these bags to do her market shopping. All the local women carry them like grocery bags- full of fresh fish, spices, produce and colorful handmade crafts sold in the market. As the most glamorous grocery bag ever seen, my friend snatched one up for herself and one for moi and brought them stateside where we have used them non-stop for everything under the sun- gym bag, beach tote, grocery cart, and oversized shoulder bag.
As THE absolute most complimented bag in my wardrobe (I have to apologize to every luxurious leather thing in my closet, but it’s true!) I have
 been dying to get over to North Africa myself and bring some of these totes home for those not so lucky to go skipping around the Mediterranean Sea.
The fabulous news is that I recently found an importer of North African goods who is bringing me these bags directly. A British ex-pat with a degree from
Cambridge and a passion for North African craft and rustic Berber style is bringing three of the most amazing baskets to the States for Cerulean. The baskets are ecologically and socially sound products that are stylish and functional, according to our guy, and they are handmade in the villages of
Morocco from palm leaf and water reed.
They've just arrived, and you don’t want to miss it. Add summer flair to every outfit. These baskets are rustic and un-fussy, but very chic and a bit exotic. You can honestly tell everyone that yours came from a Mediterranean marketplace, too.
fashion week, new york city...
Just back from a week in
New York City, right in the midst of fashion week. The whole city was buzzing with catwalks, supermodels, beautiful clothing, celebrities sitting sideline, paparazzi, and black town cars full of ladies who lunch, fashion editors and buyers from all over the world. A real whirlwind.
Cerulean was on it’s own mission to find something fabulous, the next wonderful little things for the pages of our website and catalog. While the goal was to find the shoes, clothing and accessories we will all be panting over this fall, and order up a few for our darling customers, we couldn’t help but pick up some great jewelry at amazing prices for all our fashionistas to wear right now. Shopping entire seasons in advance looses a bit of the instant gratification, so we found that fulfillment in the form of enamel bangles, coral and turquoise (over which we are always obsessed), dangly little earrings and more. And its all available on the web right now.
The best news from
New York this trip? Our amazing friends who import sumptuous fabrics from overseas sold us just a few yards of luxurious colored silk. Coming soon to Cerulean- a limited group of dresses that will be sure to set off that long
Kenneth Jay Lane necklace you’re eyeing, or those silver leather sandals that will be perfect this Spring. Think dresses that will be chic and simple, can be dressy and casual at the same time. Hold your breath, we’ll release them soon…
places in southern waters...
While it stays chilly in many parts of the country (although less so around here this week…), the lucky few are enjoying warm sandy beaches and some sort of cocktail in places a bit closer to the equator. Two such lucky souls stopped by our place this week in route to southern waters. An old friend of the family and his adorable wife stopped into our quiet coastal town for some much needed engine repairs on their Cessna before making the leap across open waters to Long Island, one of the eastern most islands of the
Caribbean.
What a pleasure to pass an evening over a long dinner, some Pimm’s cups, and a fire in the fireplace, with people who truly live the Cerulean philosophy, who spend every moment trying to see the world and experience new cultures. Having spent the last few months walking across England, staying incognito in the old quarter of some Mexican beach town, and skipping across the gulf to a port off the coast of Venezuela, our friends now find themselves heading to a port of call where pirates once roamed (and a few dope smugglers in the eighties…), but now some old salty dog rules the roost at the local marina.
A Cessna is a small plane, and thus luggage must be too, which goes completely against the Cerulean philosophy (which entails packing everything one might need for any occasion, including a ball gown in case a modern day James Bond invites you to an intimate black tie dinner aboard some yacht a’la Aristotle Onassis… it could happen). However, when circumstances require that you pack light, the
Caribbean is the ONLY place to be heading. A few of Cerulean’s pareos, one good sunhat, the perfect thong sandal, and some breezy cotton. Its all you really need.
Sadly, we had to send our friends on their way without any of the above, as we are not quite ready to open our doors. They invited us to jump in the back of the plane and join them for a long weekend of sun and mai tai’s, but alas, there are beautiful Cerulean goods arriving daily to our offices, and we stayed to await the pieces you will take on your next vacation. Stay tuned for our grand opening…
Below are two images of my friends Caribbean getaway... Long Island itself, and the glorious waters off its coast...
san miguel de allende...
The four words on everyone’s lips lately seems to be San Miguel de Allende, and so my curiosity has made me do a little research and bring it out to you.
San Miguel de Allende (and that’s pronounced “a-yen-day” for all of those linguistically challenged) was named a national historic monument in 1926 by the Mexican government, before the US had caught on to the concept of preserving all that is amazing and historical. San Miguel sits high in the mountains and has a year round perfect climate. There is no off season, no bad time to go. With a perfect climate, a far away feel but only a few hours flight, and a dollar that buys a lot, it’s a great spot to unwind from the stress of our everyday, boring lives.
The altitude brings only slightly chilly nights, for which an exotic, silk pareo is a must for your bare shoulders. (click here to shop the perfect outfit for San Miguel) We are planning our own trip soon to check out the handmade peasant shoes that everyone talks about that can only be bought in San Miguel. Nothing will bring me to a port of call faster than the promise of shoes….
A page from designer Virginia Johnson's sketch book...
viva espana...
We’ve recently come back from a stay in
Madrid, and I have to say, I don’t know why people so often pick
Barcelona over the two when visiting Espana!
Madrid is cosmopolitan, exciting, and full of good food and drink.
Here is the key to enjoying
Madrid- the great secret no one knows that is guaranteed to make you fall into life as a Madrileno …. don’t bother adjusting to the time difference.
That’s right, arrive jet lagged, go right to bed, and throw your mother’s advice out the window. Its simple..
 real Madrilenos wake up and have a quick cup of coffee on their way out the door, nothing more. By about 11 am, they are starved and they break for large snack (meal number one of the day).
Meanwhile, stylish American girl arrived at Barajas airport about 8 am, slipped into a waiting car in the hopes that no one saw the bags under her eyes from 8 hours in coach (we can’t all fly first), checked into a hotel and went straight to bed. Waking up around 11 am, she’s rested and ready for a meal, so she joins the Madrilenos for breakfast! Its perfect.
The day continues with sight seeing, shopping, or lounging in a café. Lunch is served at 3 pm, the largest meal of a Spaniards day, and dinner follows at 10 pm or later. The later you dine in Madrid, the more chic the traveler. You haven’t bothered to adjust to the time, but somehow it has all seemed to fit together perfectly.
traveling a bit closer to home...
In between jaunts to exotic locales, between buying trips to marketplaces in far flung places, it is sometimes necessary to do some traveling a bit closer to home. It is often these trips that prove the most enjoyable, however surprising you may find it to be blown away only a few hours distance from your boring, old home.
With this in mind, I recently skipped down to
New Orleans for a weekend getaway. At this point I have to comment on a phrase I have two often heard over the last two years when someone was discussing the current state of affairs of
New Orleans: We should wait to go visit when things get settled down from Katrina. I firmly believe that
New Orleans needs our tourist dollars now, more than ever. Go to the Big Easy and spend, spend, spend people!
Well, I certainly gave them my fair share of my measly checking account this past weekend, but it was well worth it. The shopping, the cafés, the oak trees, the architecture… the FOOD.
New Orleans food will blow you away time after time. When you are next in the area, try out my favorite poboy hole-in-the-wall in uptown
New Orleans. You have undoubtedly never driven by this low-slung locals joint where “Aunt Dot” has been serving up amazing poboys for almost 70 years! (I still haven’t figured the math on that one) You stand in line behind a dozen locals at the counter, behind which three ladies are crammed between a fryer and a grill slapping together fried shrimp and fried oyster poboys. You take a step backwards to allow yet another local in the door and crash into the five foot long paper bags filled with fresh French bread that was delivered early that morning.
Order your poboy “dressed” and you know the fixings will be just right. Grab a seat (if you can find one) in this cramped room and be sure to catch a glimpse of Dot’s living room when the door at the back of the room swings open, then move to the bar for a Pabst Blue Ribbon and a bag a Zapps.
New Orleans heaven. If you can find the place, find a seat, and figure out how to maneuver the line of locals, you are in for a real treat! Whew!
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