Monday, April 30, 2012

Layers In Bloom




Mandarine by L'Artisan Parfumeur is a seductive citrus aromatic fragrance, a blast of freshness & an uplifting burst of happiness...

 
Layering perfumes is one more way to unfold complex dimensions, slowly.  This fragrance by Olivia Giacobetti captures exactly the light scent of a fresh Mandarin orange...with notes of green mandarin, ginger, yellow mandarin, frangipani, red mandarin, and white cedar.   

Mandarine is a limited edition perfume.




And more LAYERS:























Mandarine by L'Artisane Parfumeur available in Charlottesville exclusively through

Charlottesville, VA
434-973-5555

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Coast of Italy!

Ah, yes, Italy.  Home of great food, great hotels and delightful people.
Shall we?

The island of Sardinia lies roughly equidistant from the Italian mainland and the Tunisian coast. In his classic travel book Sea and Sardinia, D.H. Lawrence described it as "lost between Europe and Africa, and belonging to nowhere." This sentiment was echoed by fortysomething Martini, who has been coming to Sardinia from Rome since she was a child. "It feels like a place apart," she said. "We always came on the ferry, and to us kids it was like arriving in a whole new land."






One of Carlin's favorite hotels in the world is Hotel Romazzino in Sardinia.
Can you blame her?  Just look at that water! 










The hotel has a private beach; feel free to go topless -- just bring the sunscreen!  :)



Who goes to Italy and doesn't enjoy some gelato?  Not us!
























Looking for the perfect Italian cocktail?  Look no further than a Blood Orange Campari Apertif.




Makes 1 drink.
Ingredients:
1.5 ounces (1 jigger shot) freshly-squeezed blood orange juice
1 ounce (1 pony shot) Campari
about 4-5 ounces Prosecco, to top
1 wedge blood orange, to garnish

In a champagne flute, combine the blood orange juice and Campari. With a small spoon, gently stir. Top with Prosecco, refilling after a few seconds to ensure a full glass. Garnish with a blood orange wedge.
recipe 


ENJOY!  Have a fantastic Tuesday!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Sexy Chocolate

Katrina Markoff

 "From the kitchen of her Chicago apartment, Katrina Markoff has launched a veritable chocolate revolution. She is personally responsible for the conceptualization of her collections, recipe development and vision of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, and with chocolate as her medium, she encourages others to explore the diversity of cultures, artists, traditions and movements. Through her inspiration, sensual and experiential approach, unexpected ingredients and highly sophisticated methods, Katrina inspires and models innovation - taking risks and pushing the boundaries of chocolate conventions."




 What a PERFECT fit!  C & A Camp is now our local source for Vosges Chocolate!



 "With each chocolate collection she creates, Katrina opens minds to new ideas and inspires a more non-judgmental and inclusive world."



Katrina’s Creative Process: 

Step 1 - FALL IN LOVE
My first step, and the origin of everything thereafter, is the act of falling in love with either beauty, curiosity or cause. This may be as simple as my first encounter with wattleseed, a food staple of the Aboriginal culture, the beauty of Antoní Gaudí’s cathedral, La Sagrada Família or the women of Afghanistan working in a beauty parlour.


Step 2 - INSPIRATION
With love there is no thought - only feeling - and it inevitably floats me to the next step of inspiration. A moment of transparency comes and the inspiration transforms into a vision of connectivity to my craft. Listening carefully, I hear the vision with clarity, allowing me to translate the love into my medium of chocolate storytelling.


 Step 3 - ACTION
The action is not just dreaming and leaving the thoughts in the clouds, but actually DOING something to physically create the idea. It is the pivotal moment. I act so as not to lose the idea to the fires that flare up around me in a moment’s notice. I take action to create the collection out of dire need for it to tangibly exist. It is never perfect, for if it were it would never be born.




 Step 4 - EXPERIENCE
Finally, there is the experience. The inspiration, ingredients and story create the final experiential interaction of each product with YOU. You embark upon your personal, sensory journey: the loosening of the ribbon and lifting of the boxes, the dissemination of a message, the interpretation of new parfums and the connection with your senses. If due to this experience, you stop and think about something in a new light, open your mind to a novel idea and possibly create through your medium, then this is a success.













C & A Camp
Downtown Charlottesville
434-973-5555




Thursday, April 12, 2012

Carlin's Friend: Paul Douglas



Meet Carlin's beloved friend, Paul Douglas....
 
 
Paul embodies the following words: Superfly. Empathic & Fun.  Carlin gave (and insists he wear) this reflective gear. It keeps Paul safer.





Paul's brother is Clayton. Carlin calls them Brotherdogs.


 
Paul and Carlin are both "townies."  Homeboy & Homegirl :)


Paul rides a bike. He was hurt in a work related accident. This is Paul's 2nd favorite bike. He #1 favorite was stolen by a thoughtless, unknown person.




Paul took in stride. He was sad but he decorated his #2 bike.









Paul was a true blue, mind-boggling track star. What a modest winner of life!







Paul brings Carlin thoughtfully insightful beautiful gifts.





The most cherished gift handed to Carlin is trust. One book. Pictures. Poems. Awards. Thoughts. Wishes.  And most importantly hand written prayers of gratitude to the Lord. This is Paul's own documentary of his life.







 Paul is in the hospital. Handsome man. He tells Carlin, "Everything is going to be lovely." Carlin believes him. 
And that will be the title of the future book: "Everything is Going to be Lovely."
Not THE END, but a beginning.
~Carlin & Paul