Good morning. I found this piece of collage inspiration on Elements of Style – and I thought it was the perfect way to begin this week’s Champagne Wednesday (well, actually a mimosa is the perfect way, but we’ll just pretend). Perfect, especially today, as Ash and I pour over travel sites trying to decide where we should go on our honeymoon. It will be November. Too chilly for our love of Europe, where we shivered through the last two early springs. Too late for the mindlessness of Cancun, where we’re sure to face Hurricane season. Travel is a privilege. Neither of us take the decision or the weight of such a gift very lightly. I see many more nights in bed with dueling laptops until we decide.

PS: this collage, as shared by Erin, is from an artist named Lulu de Kwiatkowsk. Lulu’s hand-crafted collages are a trip in themselves. You could go on a mini vacaton now if you’d like to take a look. I love the one with the juicy green grapes.

PPS: The joys and pathways of blogging never end. Erin has an etsy shop where she sells the most beautiful vintage wallpapers. I like her idea for framing them above a bed. Brilliant.

Stay:

My fiance (boyfriend back then) knows me so well! He booked us in at the Fairmont San Francisco on Nob Hill. I’ll admit I felt a bit Julia-Roberts-in-a-red-polka dot-dress walking into that vast lobby of tiger coloured marble. Being whisked away for the weekend is a lot of fun. The room itself was fairly standard. The robes were a bit on the crunchy side. But waking up every morning and heading down to the Gone-with-the-Wind lobby was worth the trade. Of course, we had to celebrate with two flutes of champagne in the lobby lounge:

To be continued with tips on where to eat, what to do and other great SF finds…

A collage journal from the archives today.

A page from my book. And one from Anais Ninn’s.

Last night, over barbequed Italian Sausages in  pillowy portugeuse buns, we met Champagne Wednesday with our Mini Blanc de Blancs and an episode of America’s Next Top Model. Is it any wonder my creativity was sapped?

And yet, we were content. So, instead of creating a new collage, I decided to revisit one from the past. Reading through my old journals is one of my favourite things to do. For instance, from reading my journal, I know what a good thing it is that my Anais Ninn books are no longer beside my bed or in my purse. Finally, they’ve come to rest, and let me rest too. Somewhere on a bookshelf, and I am happy to say, I don’t even know exactly which one.

I want to live only for ecstacy. Small doses, moderate loves, all half-shades leave me cold. I like extravangance. Letters which give the postman a stiff back to carry, books which overflow from their covers… 

That’s it for now. I am thinking of adding a new category to cover some rants that have been burning in me for some time. Work is such a huge part of my day, and the source of so much tortured comedy in my life. So, keep a look out. I already know what my first rant will be.

Jen

Some Wednesdays, usually around our second glass of champagne, we like to play maps. World maps on our laptops, city maps in the back of travel books, printed maps used as placemats for dinner. By the third glass, we’ve posted everything we own on craigslist. That’s how we lost the coffee table for $20. Spontaneous fundraising for our first glass of champagne at the Ritz in Paris.

Some of our map games, however, have had very different results. Two weeks on a caldera in Santorini. Two hours in the caves of Veuve Cliqout. Late night walks in Deep Cove. That’s what makes the game so fun. Once in while, it’s not a game.  

But it’s dangerous for me to see the world as just “a field full of exits,” instead of looking for entrances. It’s dangerous to go shopping when what I really want is a Joni Mitchell song and an adventure. 

Spanish love
Codorniu Reserva Raventos Cava Brut ($19.95, 750 mL)
Fruity, fresh and a little bitter from the herbal tea and floral touches. But most refreshing is the price. Especially if the night moves you to pour over maps and toast to the real Spain. You will need to save.

- Anthrolpologie Jeans

- A book that makes the perfect champagne tray

- “A field full of exits,” from Ondaatje’s Divisadero