{happy weekend + inverness}

When people think of Inverness, Scotland, they often think of the loch and the place where the fabled Loch Ness Monster resides. It is, however, also a beautiful, historic town of 65,000 and the Capital of the Highlands.

According to legend, in 1040, Macbeth built his stronghold in Inverness, and in 1158 King David of Scotland awarded Inverness its charter as a Royal Burgh. Robert the Bruce seized the first of the city's five castles from English forces in 1307, and in 1562, Mary Queen of Scots had the Governor of Inverness Castle hanged for refusing her entry to the Burgh. Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite troops were defeated in the famous Battle of Culloden, the last battle on British soil, in 1746. Soon after, Fort George, the finest 18th century fort in Europe, was established just outside the city. In 1822 the Caledonian Canal was completed by Thomas Telford, linking Inverness to the west coast of Scotland, and in 1921 Inverness Town House hosted a historic meeting of the British Cabinet, the only Cabinet meeting of the British Government ever held outside London.

We stopped for dinner and a glass of wine at a charming little place that used to be an old water mill, after strolling through town in the fresh highland air.

{kanako sasaki}

I'm crazy about Kanako Sasaki's work, especially the first and third (pink dress) photographs. She has such a unique perspective and a great eye.

"Kanako was born in Japan and attended the Ithaca College and School of Visual Arts. Her striking images of obscured faces, lone figures and minimal landscapes are a contemporary take on the floating world of traditional Ukiyo-e paintings, where ordinary life becomes extraordinarily focused."

Kanako's work has be shown at the Hitotsubo-ten Gallery, Morta Politica Gallery, and Art Cocoon Gallery in Tokyo, and the Visual Arts Gallery in New York.

{luxury is in the details}

Venetian glass valences, a 19th-century English porter's chair flanked by a pair of 1950's chairs make this East Side townhouse ultra chic.



















Solid marble in shades of grey and green are carefully arranged into patterns to create old-world elegance in this guest bathroom.

{images: Retro Home, Taschen}

{a thousand words}

Always telling P. that it takes a special eye to take great photographs, and Jeans' (on flickr) super-talented eye creates some very stunning work.

{room with a (spectacular) view}

I've been fortunate to have travelled to many amazing places around the world, but one place I would love to visit is South Africa, and when I finally make it to this exotic destination, I will stay at Makanyane Safari Lodge, which lies hidden in lush riverside forests and was designed by a team of award-winning architects to effortlessly blend the lodge with its surroundings.

Makanyane consists of a main building and only eight suites, which lie hidden in a forest overlooking the Marico River. Rich with African textures and walls of natural rock and dried tree trunks that merge with rough teak doors and contrast with overhanging thatches, the glass walls allow uninterrupted views of the river and surrounding bush.