There is something so magical about visiting the Alhambra castle in Spain – it’s almost like taking a stroll back through history.

Have you ever been to Istanbul? Recently back from my third trip there and I just plain love it. I simply cannot wait to go back. I will not go on and on just now as this will not be my only post about Istanbul. First, I must tell you about this amazing store I found there.

Maybe I’m feeling nostalgic for my hometown, but I have another Chicago gem for you all this week. This one is a real stunner and I can’t wait for you to read all about it! In 2012, artist and community organizer, Thester Gates, bought a run-down, totally derelict community savings and loans bank from the city of Chicago for just $1.00, and proceeded to turn it into a community center.

Perhaps it is the hot Summer days that are causing me to pause and remember this past Winter. It was a rough one weather-wise for a lot of us, I know. Yet I think time can heal all wounds as I find myself looking back on it fondly, remembering a special trip we took with friends to Scotland to ring in the New Year.

I always find it a bit hard to stay in a hotel in a city that I used to live in. It feels odd to be back where you once had a home and then be holed up in a boxy hotel room, doesn’t it? After living in London for five years, it truly does feel like a second home, which is why I was absolutely blown away by the Rosewood Hotel during my recent stay there.

How about a little getaway from these cold New York days for a weekend in the paradise of Sonoma Valley’s very own SingleThread Farm? Buckle your seatbelt, this is going to be quite a getaway.

One workshop I happened upon while strolling down Via de Serragli belongs to the local artist Luca Rafanelli, who has lived and worked in the neighborhood his whole life.

This year I’ll be cozied up at home with the family on New Year’s Eve, but I wanted to take a moment to reminisce about one of the best New Year’s I have ever spent at The Point Resort in the Adirondacks.

Am I the only one who cannot find a line of travel guides that they really, truly like?

If you haven’t yet made a visit to the The Albertine Bookstore in NYC, you are in for a treat. This beautifully designed book shop opened in 2014 as an initiative on the part of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, and is devoted to the exchange of French and English ideas.