JetSet Coco

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Tommy Ton Shoots Fall 2011


This is the best time of the season, with fashion week winding down, sorting through the pictures of the hottest looks on the street for Fall 2011. I feel totally inspired for new ideas on my upcoming purse line after browsing through Tommy Ton's street shots on Style.com. I love the bright colors, all the randomly mix-matched prints, and the color blocking and variety of bold stripes. I can't wait to design some more purses after this fresh new outlook!






Monday, February 21, 2011

Ourem, Portugal




Casa Alta, the villa where we resided during our stay in Portugal, is in the town of Ourem, a tiny town with lots of character. While there aren't many noteworthy sights in Ourem besides the church of the 15th century and the Ourem Castle, the locals are friendly and the city has an old world charm. Simply strolling the cobblestone roads and looking at the cute old houses is satisfying and makes you feel like you are present in the medieval times.









Thursday, February 17, 2011

Casa Alta


This family trip, we opted to stay in a more personalized setting than a hotel. We chose to spend a week in a cute Portuguese villa turned bed and breakfast called Casa Alta in the quaint village of Ourem. It was the perfect accommodation for my family because there were five of us traveling, and 3 bedrooms to rent. The moment we arrived, I was left speechless at the ornate French decor and furniture, beautiful artwork, and most importantly, since we stayed over Christmas holiday- the Christmas decorations! What made this accommodation particularly special is the incredible staff. Run by a charming and quirky American expat priest, there is never a dull moment at Casa Alta. And forget any qualms you may have about residing in the same house as a priest- he's actually a previous socialite from San Francisco, and he's up for happy hour and a good time as much as any of us! Upon request, you can have a delicious three course dinner with wine prepared for you by Valentina, the woman who looks after the home. The consideration and attention to details in accommodating my family was incredible and made for a truly unique, unforgettable and pleasant stay at Casa Alta. I would absolutely recommend to anyone planning a visit to Portugal to stay at Casa Alta.

My cozy bedroom

View from my room

Bedroom 2

Bedroom 3

Views from the backyard... there's also a pool!

Living room, always with a nice fire in the winter



Dinner table

Father and Valentina at Christmas Dinner

Performing our private Christmas day mass in small chapel at Casa Alta



Front view of Casa Alta





Portuguese Tiles


I was blown away by the amount of gorgeous handcrafted tiles that decorate the buildings and floor throughout Portugal. I expected to see such craftsmanship in Morocco, but had no idea how prevalent the beautiful artisan tiles are in Portugal as well. I couldn't get enough of these blue and white beauties! I found these patterned tiles to be extremely inspirational as a textile designer, and hope you enjoy viewing them as well.




































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