Le Postcard

Stephanie Steinman (above) has created Le Postcard, a site that profiles the travel habits of wordly influencers. See below for a sneak-peak. Jessica de Ruiter dishes on her farm life in Canada. She feasts on river trout with her family and relies on the property's well water to keep her skin glowing...more here.

Jeanann Williams heads to Greece for a girls trip with her teal luggage et al...more here.

How fitting...one of my favorite jewelry designers in one of my favorite locales: Aurélie Bidermann plays in Positano...more here.

Sabine Ghanem heads to Harbour Island with her lover and friends. See what she did aside from the reggae and snorkeling....see here.

Meredith Melling opens up about how she pines for Pringles in hotel mini-bars and how she dreams of a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Tennessee... (that makes two of us)!

Jakobs of Gotland

I think I've met my match. My trip back east allowed me to relish in many simple pleasures I missed. As I return to my routine, I find myself day dreaming of another escape. This restored farm house on the Swedish island of Gotland is nestled among 2 acres of green gardens, a bike ride away from the sea and thoughtfully dusted with beautiful interior pieces in true Scandinavian style.  Known as Jakobs of Gotland, this property is available for rent by the long weekend in winter, or week in summer.

Naturally, my stay at Jakobs has already been sorted out in my head. I have visions of reading on the terrace in a white chemise, only glancing away to watch the branches on the trees sway in the morning breeze. In the late afternoon, I'll bike ride to the sea for a long swim before supper, returning to visit the sauna in the barn. Then, I'll retreat to the garden to pick herbs, flowers and produce for supper outside and dine with acquaintances I've met in the nearby town of Visby. When the laughter and dim candlelight subsides, I'll retreat indoors for a glass of scotch or port, my eyes fixated on the glow of a hearty fire...It seems every day at Jakobs is a verse out of a pastoral poem.

Learn more about Jakobs of Gotland here and be sure to see Net-A-Porter's feature as well! Owners Anna and Andi are lovely as ever and available via email to address your inquires.

(Photography credit: Ken Kochey and Katarina Grip-Höök’)

PRIVATE via Instagram

    One of my favorite subjects on Instagram is Giancarlo Giammetti. Giancarlo is known by many across the globe and perhaps most well-known for his long-time relationship with partner Valentino Garavani, the man behind the Italian powerhouse that is Valentino.  Giancarlo, who has been quoted saying that his life truly didn't start until meeting Valentino, (they met by a chance encounter in a Parisian nightclub in the 60's), is equally responsible for much of the fashion house's success.  Although the duo sold the brand in 1998 to Italian conglomerate HdP, Giancarlo and Valentino continue to reign over the kingdom of high fashion and the colorful social circles that follow. You can find the duo in an array of fabulous locales, surrounded by what they refer to as their "tribe" a group of beautiful, well decorated (famous) friends who join on their travel adventures (typically à la Valentino's yacht T.M. Blue One), from the Adriatic Sea, to beach clubs in Southern Greece, to couture fashion shows in Paris, and then some. In the past year, Giancarlo was the particular interest of the international press when he changed his Instagram account from private to public while subsequently releasing his book “Private: Giancarlo Giammetti”, a remarkable 12 pound memoir with a look into the fanciful world that is his own reality.

She's a 10

I've posted on the Sea as a Cure before, and I'll say it again: it does marvelous things for the soul. One of my most favorite aspects of living in San Francisco is the access to beautiful landscapes. I love weekend adventures and this past weekend didn't fall short of that fondness. It wasn't my first trip to Pt. Reyes, but it certainly took the cake for being the most impactful. Point Reyes is located in Marin County just shy of 30 miles west-northwest of San Francisco. The region is bounded by Tomales Bay on the northeast (home to some of our country's best oysters), and Bolinas Lagoon (a popular surf spot) on the other side, southeast. A majority of the land is protected as part of Point Reyes National Seashore and interestingly, bounded to the east by the San Andreas Fault. The landscape will captivate even the most discerning discoverer.

I spent my Saturday grinning ear to ear on Pt. Reyes' South Beach dodging the powerful waves, a product of the seriously dangerous rip current the beach is notorious for. It was my first daring swim in the Pacific since moving west and as I sit here writing this post, I wish I could teleport back to that moment. Nothing makes me happier than salty hair, sunshine and being with the ocean. Post-swim, My Mother and I basked in the sun with wine and sandy newspapers, with the alluring landscape around us....Heaven!