JetSet Coco

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Launch Miami Market


For anyone in the Miami area, come visit me today in the design district at the Launch Miami Market from 12-6. I will be selling my original handbag and pillow designs, including 20 brand new pillows and bags that I haven't even posted on Etsy yet! Hope to see you soon!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

New Summer Handbag Designs


In preparation for my sale this Saturday April 30th at Launch Arte in Miami's design district, I have been whipping up some new designs. If you happen to be in the Miami area this weekend, stop by the open air market and say hi to me at my JetSet Coco booth! If not, check out my designs on Etsy!




Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Weekend in Vienna


After a day in Amsterdam, we departed for Vienna, Austria, for our good friends wedding. It was the perfect excuse to return to Vienna for a fun-filled weekend. I had been to Vienna four years ago at Christmas time and loved how charming the city was with all its festive Christmas markets scattered throughout the city, and twinkling stars and Christmas lights illuminating the streets. It was just as beautiful in the springtime, with sunny skies and tulips beginning to bloom.




First stop we made in Vienna was the restaurant Zum Schwarzen Kameel, The Black Camel in English. Our Austrian friend obviously knew what she was doing by taking us there because the food was delicious, and the ambiance even better. After a flight, it was the perfect remedy to sit outside with a glass of wine, sampling a plethora of traditional Austrian spreads on bread. Later on, we all headed to the popular club Passage for a night of dancing and great music.

The following day, we headed out to the busy shopping streets of Sudtiroler Platz. We stumbled upon the charming cafe at the Hotel Sacher and ordered salmon on toast, which was light enough that we could eat what we really came their for... the Original Sachertorte! The famous Viennese specialty dessert, made of rich chocolate cake with a hint of marmalade and dollop of whip cream, melts in your mouth and is truly to die for! Hotel Sacher's cozy cafe was the perfect place to relax, enjoy delicious food, and admire the ornate decor that makes you feel like you're back in the times of Mozart. The wedding was later that day, so we concluded our sightseeing and headed to the stunning wedding for a wonderful celebratory evening.

Sachertorte

Hotel Sacher

Our last day, we decided to soak up some culture in two of the many museums that are scattered around town. First, we hopped on the metro to see the works of one of my favorite artists, Gustav Klimpt, at the Belvedere Museum. While this museum is famous for carrying a majority of Klimpt's paintings, I was a bit disappointed at the small quantity that they were showcasing. All of the paintings were fabulous, I was just expecting to see more.

Gustav Klimpt, The Kiss

View from the Belvedere Museum

Across the street from the Belvedere, we decided to grab a light lunch, and the place looked cute and authentic. Since the chicken schnitzel was so tasty the night before at the wedding, we decided to order it again, along with a salad. Well, clearly there was a language barrier or the restaurant was having a slow day, because they brought out a schmorgishborg of dips for bread, a massive salad, and a colossal plate covered with two pounds of fries, two foot long sausages, two beef patties, two meat skewers, two blood sausages, and two chicken schnitzels. I have never seen such a ginormous amount of food in my life, it was as if a whole farm was on this plate! They looked at us strangely as they cleared tons of the barely touched plates of food, since we couldn't possibly make a dent in all that! Next, they brought out a dessert plate, on the house, of six pieces of dessert, including a streudel, sachertorte, and some cake. This was the most glutinous feast I have ever partaken in, enough to put Thanksgiving to shame. Needless to say, we kind of rolled out of there and decided to walk all the way back to the hotel instead of riding the train.




While strolling through town, we passed by an indoor antique market that takes place every other Sunday at the Ringstrassen Galerien. It must have been fate, because flea markets are one of my favorite things in the world, and European antiques always seem so much better than ours!



Next, we stopped at the wonderful Albertina Museum for a vast collection of Monet, Picasso, Kandinsky, Lichtenstein, and so many others. The museum is fabulous, and even when you aren't meandering through the art exhibits, you can view the ornate rooms fully furnished in the Neoclassical style of this former palace. All that art made me thirsty, so we stopped at an outdoor cafe in front of the Imperial Palace, and ordered the traditional cocktail wine spritzer.

Albertina Museum

Butterfly exhibit at the Imperial Palace


Imperial palace


The final leg of our journey ended at the Prater, Vienna's large amusement park full of rides, beer gardens, and the world's oldest ferris wheel, Reisenrad. Of course, we had to go on the giant ferris wheel, which has cabins large enough for people to have a sit down dinner at their mobile restaurant. After soaking in the amazing views of Vienna from the height of the ferris wheel, I went on the swing ride which elevates about 200 feet in the air. I'd never seen anything like it before- that was like our normal carnival swing ride on crack, insanely high but so much fun! We concluded the night at the Schweizerhaus beer garden and restaurant for our final meal and a giant beer. There couldn't have been a better closure to this wonderful vacation.




View from the ferris wheel

Ready to swing

The extremely high swing ride





Tuesday, April 12, 2011

A Day In Amsterdam


There's so much to do and see in Amsterdam that it's virtually impossible to cram it all into one day. Luckily I have been to Amsterdam once before, and one afternoon was the perfect amount of time to spend frolicking around this fascinating city. I am absolutely in love with this charming city that is decorated with bikes parked everywhere imaginable. The quirky buildings on the canals are simply stunning, with each one different from the next. With amiable locals, impeccably clean streets, and more character and culture than any other city of its pint size, Amsterdam is an idealistic little town. That said, if it's the partying, seedy atmosphere that you seek on your vacation, Amsterdam obviously has that, too with more smoke shop cafes than you could possibly count, and the notorious Red Light District.





While in Amsterdam, there are a few sights that simply cannot be missed whether you are there for a week or a day in order to get the whole gist of the city:

1. The Van Gogh Museum is quite possibly the best museum in the world if you love impressionist art as much as I do.

2. Wander over bridges and canals, get lost in the winding streets of the darling areas Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein and enjoy all the architecture.





3. Take a pleasant stroll through the flower market and marvel at the immense amounts tulips, dried flowers, dahlias, and a rainbow of other flowers.









4. It is pertinent to window shop through the Red Light District- I'm not saying literally shop there, but it's a famous sight in Amsterdam that's not to be missed.


5. Visit Anne Frank's house to wander through her home as they left it furnished and everything, and pay respect to the innocent people who should never have had to suffer through the Holocaust.

6.Lastly, I'm not advocating that anyone smoke, but it is a famous aspect of life and tourism in Amsterdam, and it's an unreal experience just to peek into a coffee shop to see what it looks like.


A far as cuisine goes, Amsterdam has hands down the best waffles and fries in the world! Don't make a fatal mistake of ordering ketchup with the fries. When in Amsterdam, do as the locals do and get mayonnaise instead- you won't regret it! Last time I came to Amsterdam four years ago I literally ate nothing but waffles, so that was the first thing on my mind to devour this trip, and it didn't disappoint. For a sinfully good dessert or snack, go for a chocolate dipped waffle topped with cinnamon ice cream. It's totally over the top but necessary. The beer in Amsterdam is also delightful, and it's the birthplace of Heineken. And what goes better with beer than cheese? Luckily, you run into a handmade cheese shop on just about every busy street, and they are more than happy to give away samples.



I am a shopaholic, and while wandering the streets of Rembrandtplein, I was pleasantly surprised at the fantastic assortment of home decor and clothing stores. The store that I really fell in love with for home goods shopping is Homeland Sissy-Boy. Funny name, fabulous merchandise. It had an Anthropologie vibe with a Nordic twist. Second store that caught my eye was the more funky and sleek Jan shop, also on the sleek, specialty-shop sprinkled street called Utrechtsestraat.





I would highly recommend anybody visiting Amsterdam to stay at the Eden Amsterdam American Hotel. Perfectly located right in the heart of the the Leidseplein square and located on a canal with fantastic views, this hotel couldn't be more convenient if you're seeking to walk to charming cafes, nightlife, and restaurants right in the middle of the action. Our room was fabulous, with a massive window overlooking the tree lined canal. The decor was very fashion forward, with Erte-like fashion drawings framed on the wall and an art deco fashion model motif on the carpet. It was perfect for someone as into fashion as me.


Entrance to Eden Amsterdam American Hotel

View from our room


Hotel Room Carpet


I hope my fabulous one day whirlwind jaunt through Amsterdam will inspire you to do the same.