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Confession. I love Broadway musicals.
I saw Wicked – A New Musical, for the second time last week. And in my excitement, I did in fact dress in green for the performance.
So while Oz and the Emerald City are not necessarily real places, they do stir the imagination and the costumes created for the broadway show are beautiful, unique but adaptable. And of course, I do love the color green. But there is more to the color palette of Oz than just shades of green, the young wicked and good witches attend the university and wear classic uniforms with blazers and skirts in turquoise and white.
As the show progresses, they slowly turn into the characters we recognize from the traditional story. Here’s just a little bit of inspiration…I had trouble narrowing it down.
Top row, left to right: Indie-candescent Dress, $73.99. School Jacket, $148. Glinda the Good Dress, $49.99. Middle row: Ruffled Top, $16.99. Drifting by Dress, $168. Modern Witch Hat, $77.99. Bottom row: Oz-Dust Ballroom Dress, $64.99. Finer Points Lace-Ups, $150. Emerald City Dress, $138.
Enjoy “One short day, in the Emerald City…”
I thought it appropriate, if not cliché, to feature one of my favorite places in honor of the upcoming holiday that celebrates all things Irish.
I spent 6 months living and going to school in Galway, Ireland in 2003. It was a semester full of craíc (pronounced crack and meaning “fun” in Gaelic) with 3 great roommates. We spent much of our time, when not in class of course, traveling around Ireland and the rest of Europe, enjoying Ireland’s finest beer selections and falling in love with the island’s people and places.
The sites, sounds and smells of Ireland bring back great memories and lots of inspiration.
The sound of the wind whipping and the waves crashing at the Cliffs of Moher as you peer very carefully over the edge into the hazy blue waters far below. The vibrant green of the fields you pass en route to the Dingle Peninsula on a narrow and winding stone-lined road, only to be stopped by a herd of downy, cream sheep crossing the road. After a long day of exploring ancient castles and touring local towns, stopping in for a perfect pint of Guinness.
Deep Brown: The dark wood of the hand carved bar at your new favorite pub. The deep rich color of Guinness – liquid dinner. The shine of the fiddle as a local plays some traditional tunes at the pub.
Emerald Green: The fields you can see for miles as you drive along the coast on your way to the Dingle Peninsula. The color of the facade of that cute little shop selling celtic crosses. The ivy covering the old castle you made a stop in.
Slate Gray: The stone walls, buildings and castles that abound the towns and villages across the entire island. The cobble stones along the pedestrian shopping routes.
Burnt Gold: The dry heather in the marshes of the many lakes. The shiny glint on the edge of your pint glass.
Navy Turquoise: Is this even a color? Darker than Turquoise, not quite Navy Blue. The deep blue of the Atlantic as you peer out from atop the cliffs of moher or the edge of the Aran Islands.
Cream: The froth settling in on a perfectly poured pint of Guinness (or Smithwick’s!). The fisherman’s cable knit sweater you picked up at that great little shop along Shop Street in Galway. An “irish” traffic jam of sheep crossing pastures across the road.
Top row, left to right: Peering over the edge at the Cliffs of Moher, Shop Street in Galway, Aran Sweater Market. Middle row: Celtic cross, tree growing in an abandoned castle in Donegal, Striped door on Inis Mór – Aran Islands. Bottom row: The Cliffs of Moher, a perfect pint of Guinness, Ashford Castle (now a hotel!) in Cong.
Found in translation, a little closer to home:
Top row, left to right: Pretty fisherman knit arm-warmers, $25. Listen to Gaelic Storm. Find the perfect pint with the Guinness Gallery App, $1.99. Middle row: Watch The Quiet Man with John Wayne & Maureen O’Hara, set in Cong, Ireland, $13+. Join the largest Irish Festival outside of Ireland, this year August 19-22. Cables & arans knit stitch book of patterns, $22.95. Bottom Row: Make Irish Stew. Decorate for Easter with felted eggs, made in Ireland, $25. Learn to draw Celtic Knots, $14.49.
Irish descendant or not, I highly recommend visiting this beautiful island at some point in your life. The people are warm and welcoming, the landscape is inspiring, and the beer, of course, is delicious! But in the meantime, I hope my impressions leave you inspired.
Sláinte!
The weather conditions in my city at the moment are 25F degrees. Overcast. Cold. Windy. The current weather conditions in Anguilla are 82F degrees. Sunny. Warm. Perfect. Can you guess which place I’d rather be right now?
As you can probably guess, I’ve got the itch for a little beach time. Since that’s not an option at the moment, I’ll move forward with at least dreaming about a warm and sunny destination by presenting the next places & palettes color scheme focused on the vibrant colors of Anguilla.
Measuring 16 miles long and three miles at its widest point, Anguilla is a small island nation just a few miles away from St. Martin/St. Maarten in the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. I loved Anguilla when I visited it for one glorious day during a Caribbean cruise years back (we took a ferry from St. Martin – Marigot), but for this post, I tapped into my parent’s recommendations for their top favorites of the island since they’ve continued to return to Anguilla for many, many years.
For the most part – you come to Anguilla to veg-out on the sugary soft beaches. Bring some good books, grab a cocktail, slather on the sunscreen and soak up the sun. But in between sunning sessions, you can sample some rather unexpected culinary delights, see fish in abundance as you snorkel the reefs or explore the small island. And of course – don’t forget to let the colors of the Caribbean inspire you. Here’s what really jumps out at me from this tropical escape.
Mango Yellow: Fruity and delicious frozen cocktails coming to you all day at the beach, plumeria blossoms, vibrant paint of the buildings in town.
Coral Pink: The doors to that cute little church down the lane, the glowing coral that catches the sun in the warm water.
Burgundy: Local student’s uniforms paired nicely with pink, the decor at your new favorite restaurant, the dark wood of your beach chair that you plan to leave as little as possible during your stay.
Aqua Marine: The many hues of the surrounding ocean that you peak up at every so often from over the book you’ve got your nose in.
Butter Cream: Beaches as soft as sugar and almost as white, the natural limestone walls of the churches and buildings in town.
And found closer to home…items I would pack for my trip to Anguilla (if only…)
Top row, left to right: Cover Up, $78. A beach bag supporting a cause, $75. Listen to Vampire Weekend, the perfect island tunes (can be purchased on iTunes or Amazon.com). Middle row: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Mega amounts of sunscreen for my pale irish skin. Bandeau twist-top bathing suit, $78. Bottom row: Dockside bikini, Top $118 & bottom $98. Mary Alice dress, $59.99. Cheap sunglasses since I always break them, $9.99.
And lastly, as I mentioned, here’s Mom & Dad Mc’s favorite haunts on Anguilla:
Shoal Bay Beach (East) is probably the best beach I’ve ever been to. The sand is so white and soft while the water is a brilliant blue. I could spend days reading, napping and walking this beach. There’s also reefs in abundance around this area making for a great spot for snorkeling among colorful, tropical fish.
Kú Hotel: An all-suite hotel overlooking Shoal Bay East and near Fountain Cave. Designed to reflect the minimalist aesthetic of Miami’s South Beach, it offers a laid back atmosphere with a touch of luxury.
Hibernia: A restaurant worth splurging on. I looked at their menu and 
the Crayfish Saute in Safron Sauce looks amazing. They also have a fabulous wine list, hand picked from the owner’s trips to their favorite French vineyard as well as a gallery.
Straw Hat Restaurant: Named 
as one of the 50 Hot New Restaurants of the World by Condé Nast Traveler in 1999, the restaurant offers delicious food, unique decor and great service.
Scilly Cay (pronounced Silly Key): Swim or
take a boat out to this tiny coral-based outlying island to enjoy a lunch of rum punch, fresh fruit, pasta salad, garlic bread and choice of grilled lobster, crayfish, half chicken or fresh red snapper. They keep things simple and delicious. But plan carefully, they’re only open on Sundays and Wednesdays for lunch!
If you want to learn more about Anguilla, check out their visitor website or wikitravel. Or just make your escape now!
Bon voyage,
