The decor in Upstairs at the Oak immediately made me think of this Edie Chaise Lounge ($550) from Urban Outfitters, which I’ve had my eye on for awhile now. The problem with this chaise lounge is it can’t really function as your primary couch (it doesn’t exactly look ideal for cuddling while watching Grey’s Anatomy), but it’s big enough that it would be difficult to place elsewhere in an NYC apartment (at least in ours). Hmm.
Latest Posts
Random London observation: all the leaves that have fallen off the trees (and presumably the ones that are still on them) are HUGE. Is that normal?
This is Parisa on the way to The Oak London last night for dinner and drinks. She and Tim live in on a beautiful tree-lined street in Bayswater, which is on the edge of Notting Hill and looks straight out of a movie.
Upstairs at The Oak
Cocktails at Upstairs at The Oak
The image above is by Elisabeth Estivalet, one of my favorite artists. I bought one of her paintings for my parents after graduation (and after I booked a spot on ER and a couple of national network commercials in rapid sequence, which made buying things like paintings seem like an OK idea), and it currently hangs in their dining room. Estivalet creates pastoral landscapes of her native Provence using only a palette knife, so the works are extremely tactile (and so pretty).
If you’re in D.C. this weekend, P & C Art is hosting a preview of Estivalet’s new collection.
I was starving when I finally exited the Tube and arrived at Parisa’s (the plane food was worse than usual, so I elected to just drink an enormous plastic cup of complimentary wine - yay international flights! - and pass out), so we made salami and turkey sandwiches, paired with a few cheeses and some mixed olives from Waitrose (I highly recommend that you get your hands on some green olives stuffed with tiny pieces of lemon rind as soon as possible). My favorite was comte cheese (also Tim’s favorite) - a hard, unpasteurized French cow’s milk cheese.
After I took a quick nap, Parisa made me a latte with her brand-new Nescafe espresso machine. I’m not a big coffee person, but this latte made me wish Kendrick and I had registered for one of these things when we got married.
Thanks so much to all of you who wrote me with suggestions for my trip!
Some of the reader tips I’m most excited about:
- Vintage shops/indie boutiques on Brick Lane (pictured above)
I’m here! A bit tired, as you can see in the above photo (2 hours of plane sleep does not make me happy), but so excited. The ride on the Tube took forever, but I had the Daily Telegraph to keep me company.
I just got to Parisa’s place, and am unpacking while she runs to the market for lunch stuff.
In my carry-on:
- Cleaving by Julie Powell (I scored an advance copy…but am not sure I’m loving it)
- Eyeglasses
- Sunglasses (I’m arriving at 9AM)
My number-one travel beauty tip? Hydration.
When I fly, I try to avoid wearing any makeup at all (sometimes I’ll cave and put on a little mascara, but that’s it). As evidence: here I am an hour before departing for the airport. Glamorous, no?
Moisturizing is the key to arriving at your destination looking like you’ve just returned home from a vacation, rather than looking like you’re in desperate need of one. I load as much oil-free moisturizer as possible onto my face, neck, and hands, and make sure to drink water every time the beverage cart comes around (and, OK, maybe the occasional Bloody Mary as well…because passing out for a couple of hours is also key to arriving looking refreshed, and I find some in-flight alcohol facilitates that process).
For some more travel beauty tips, check out this article from Suite101.
Someone Wants To Come
Someone wants to come with Mom on her trip.
