The Magazine Approach

Imagine a boutique hotel with soaking tubs, a secret garden and yoga in the penthouse.

Sounds divine!

This new taste trend is the brain child of Chip Conley, a hotel property developer.

I love his unique approach to developing properties as if he were a magazine editor.

I think he is on to something with Joie de Vivre Hospitality

A Trend To Applaud

Here is a trend to applaud... the example being set by people like Elizabeth Edwards. Despite what life has served her, she continues to move forward in the direction of her dreams, pursuing the mission for which she was created.

Trends such as this are as important if not more important than what's hot and what's not.

Chocolate Fountains Are The Ugliest Piece of Equipment

Towards the end of my tenure as a Florida caterer and special event designer, chocolate fountains were all the rage.

But I have to admit, I was not crazy about the concept of chocolate fountains. From other caterers I heard horror stories about melted chocolate ricocheting across a bride's gorgeous white wedding gown at a wedding reception.

But even before I heard those tales, I thought that the chocolate fountain was the ugliest piece of equipment to ever grace a buffet or station. I wouldn't have something so ugly at my events.

The novelty didn't make one iota of difference to me. I had better secrets for offering melted chocolate in beautiful ways to the guests at my parties.

The Latest Concepts Hit The Big Apple

Since I would love to buy a new automobile later this year, I found this interesting. The latest concepts in automobiles hit the Big Apple this week.

Imagine bright green paint on your car!

Green is a great color and from a psychological perspective, green is an excellent color that represents life, growth and financial abundance. Perhaps that was the reason why I changed the skin of all my blogs in January to a pleasing shade of green. Bring on the abundance, I say!

Musing Over The Renewed Blooming of Old Passions

I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. God never forgets what HE is doing with us. Interesting how ancient, old passions re bloom out-of-the-blue.

I am blown away in recent times to be witnessing a resurgence of the passions I once held so dear. Passions that once-upon-a-time were such an integral part of who I was, but somewhere along the journey of life, they faded until they were barely even a memory.

'Why now?" I wonder. Why do trends matter once again to me? I remember when the study of trends, as a design student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City jolted my heart with trepidation. Visions of being a trend scout would dance across my imagination, as I would imagine a career that involved the creative forecasting of fashionable trends. While I certainly have no desire to work in that capacity at this stage of my life, I am amused by a natural, renewed interest in the subject of trends and am filled with my own curiousity as to why. I suppose I'll just have to wait and see what glorious purpose the Lord of creation is orchestrating.

Florida Food Tourism

As a foodie, I love the trend of food tourism. In fact, I was interested in food tourism long before food tourism was even a trend.

Every where I have ever traveled, food took center stage! I might not remember all of the exact details of a trip, but if something tasted out-of-this-world I can still conjure up that taste in my imagination!

Maybe that is why my ex use to say I never forgot a single meal I ever ate. At the time, I didn't know if he was paying me a compliment or an insult, or simply speaking a truism.

Fortunately, at the ripe age of 49 I'm not so sensitive anymore to insults or compliments. Just let them roll off like teflon... that's what I try to do. I find it helps me to stay more productive, which is indeed a jolly good thing, giving that I am blessed with a fabulous creative mind that is always a wonderfully fun and sometimes outrageous place to hang out!

Getting back to my point... sorry, I can run down some bunny trails if I'm not careful!

I really wanted to say something about Florida Food Tourism. For those of you that don't know me, let me begin by saying I LOVE FLORIDA! So to do my little part as a resident of the sunshine state, I am going to be helping to promote Florida Cuisine! Read more!

Food Tourism: A Growing Trend

Imagine culinary expeditions to far-flung regions of the world. What a delicious way to experience the food of other cultures.

For several years now, I've been noticing a growing trend in food tourism.

At a catering conference that I attended in the 90's, I learned about a colleague who had started a gourmet travel division to her North Carolina catering business. I was fascinated.

Of course food tourism need not even depart American shores to experience true adventure.

All fifty states offer splendid culinary treasures.

In a recent study by the Travel Industry Association in association with Gourmet magazine and the International Culinary Tourism Association, it was stated that 60% of U.S. leisure travelers say that they are interested in culinary travel. 27 million travelers engaged in culinary activities while traveling over the past three years.

The hot spots for US culinary travel are California, Florida and New York. Having lived in all three of these states, I'm not surprised!

In my research I learned about New York Chocolate Tours, a new company started by Carmen Botez. Ah, imagine the sweet dreams you would have after a touring New York's best chocolate shops. Why I think after a day of chocolate tasting I would be thinking that I had surely died and gone to heaven. Death By Chocolate.... mmmm what could be sweeter?