EAB Designs

Monumental Cemetery Milan, Cimitero Monumentale di Milano

While in Milan, we visited the famous Monumental Cemetery, which features artistic tombs and monuments created by great Italian sculptors of the 19th and 20th centuries. Most of the life-sized, beautiful statues focus on those who have been left behind. Some of the pieces so moving, we were left in tears.  Considered an open-air museum, it's a peaceful and beautiful spot for quiet contemplation.  I hope, through these photos, you can feel the tranquility and beauty of this remarkable resting place of many of Milan's prominent citizens.

 

 In between posts, you can find me on Instagram @juleseab

Venice Italy

 

We loved our time in Venice. Rooted in history, Venice is a place you should visit at least once in your lifetime.  The architecture, colorful buildings and sparkling canals, set against the Italian blue sky are stunningly beautiful. 

 

 

It's easy to hop on a vaporetto (water taxi) to take you along the canal or transport you to a near by island.  We particularly enjoyed Murano which is famous for their venetian glass.

Although St. Mark's Square, and surrounding area, are overwhelmingly crowded, it is nonetheless still worth experiencing.  We spent much of our time roaming charming back passages and popping into quaint restaurants. Venetians enjoy sipping an Aperol spritz with an assortment of cicchetti, or small plates so you can graze throughout the day.  Our most memorable meal was a delicious black risotto with cuttlefish. Of course, we treated ourselves to daily trips to the geletario. For the best gelato visit Suso - my personal favorites were pistachio and lemon.

Besides the beauty of the city itself, my most memorable experience was attending an Antonio Vivaldi concert in San Maurizio Church - Music Museum.  Vivaldi, born in Venice, lived and worked most of his life in the city. We were treated to the Four Seasons by the Interpreti Veneziani ensemble. 

A sunset cruise on the grand canal is not to be missed.  Peeks into narrow canals with unforgettable views of spacious palaces, churches and passing gondolas are all what makes Venice so picturesque.  

Next up, my favorite stop on our Europe trip, Lake Como.

Liberty of London Visit

 

 

 

As a young adult, I happily owned more than several Liberty of London dresses.  Years later, I am still in love with their traditional floral fabrics and graphic prints. While in London, I was able to visit their store on Great Marlborough Street in the West End of London.

 

The Tudor-revival building was built in 1924 from the timbers of two ships.  Today it's filled with a vast collection of homeware, clothing, accessories and, of course, its beautiful fabric line.

 

 

At the main entrance to the store, you'll be greeted by a beautiful flower market which was filled with peonies, hydrangeas and roses.

 

 

I brought home a selection of tea and some delicious Prestat Chocolates, known for creating the chocolate truffle - a favorite of Roald Dahl.

 

 

 

The inside of the store has the most charming displays and assortment of luxurious home goods from both Britain and around the world.

 

 

Beautiful faux taxidermy pieces all constructed with Liberty of London fabrics.

 

 

The children's department did not disappoint with many creative displays.  These cardboard cutouts were adorable and an abundance of Meri Meri's Liberty collection were available.

 

 

And a few last photos . . . you can even take home a Liberty of London sewing machine!

 

 

In between posts, you can find me on instagram.

London's Borough Market

 

During our stay in London, we visited Borough Market, Britain's most renowned and oldest food market which has existed for over 1,000 years in one form or another.  It features exceptional British produce, cheese, breads, pastries and regional specialities from around the world. It's a lively atmosphere filled with Londoners, vendors, lots of chatter, and of course, the smell of delicious food cooking.  The architecture adds to its charm with it's wrought-iron roof, glass, and railway arches. I hope my pictures give you a sense of what a remarkable and delightful place it is.

 

 

 In between posts, you can find me on instagram @juleseab.

Vacation!

 

 

The first of our English Garden roses bloomed today! And speaking of England, I am returning to London next week. Excited to roam charming neighborhoods, enjoy traditional English breakfasts, afternoon teas & a bit of shopping. Then on to Austria where we will spend a week in Vienna. I'll be sharing photos on my Instagram account @juleseab, and you can also follow my Snapchat juleseab. During this time, both of my shops will be placed in "vacation mode". I do plan to check emails periodically, so feel free to get in touch with me. Otherwise, I'll look forward to responding to all inquiries once I return on June 6th. Cheers!

weekend project...vacation photo organizing

 

Sorting through vacation photos this morning. These salvaged items were being stored in an old church courtyard.

 

One of the many, beautiful stained glass windows in the church.

 

 

Driving along, you can often spot these incredibly large storks' nests. In this particular nest, we were lucky to discover someone home!

 

A beautiful home in a popular garden neighborhood.

 

 

Up close and personal with a local chicken.

Photography 101

Just signed up for my very first photography class today. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time and I'm excited to get started. And speaking of photography, I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't set aside the time to sort and edit all of our pictures from our last trip to Europe. Time flies! I'm looking forward to working on it a little each day.  Today I'm going through our pictures from Norway.  Here's a few shots of our boat trip through the beautiful fjords.

Weekend Travel

So excited to be headed for an extended weekend trip to NYC. As you know, I always pack light.

 

 

A favorite white blouse (love the ruffles), a single necklace, two sweaters and an extra pair of pants will take me through the weekend.

 

A crossbody handbag (this one is my favorite) is a must for long days of shopping and exploring the city late into the evening. Bringing along my Ray-Bans to ensure sunny days and to ward off any chance of rain.

Looking forward to visiting new restaurants, selecting fabric for a new line to the EAB Designs collection, and shopping with sweet girl. I'll try and post some pictures to instagram and facebook. Have a wonderful weekend!

NYC Holiday Windows 2013 - Part II

Tiffany & Co's windows featured snow covered New York streets filled with Tiffany's famous blue boxes.  The displays were miniature in size, similar to doll houses.

 

Diamond jewelry sparkled among the roof tops of grand townhouses.

 

 

The outside of Tiffany's building was charming as well.  The male greeters at the door wore Tiffany blue scarves and those inside, Tiffany blue ties.

 

 

Henri Bendel's windows brought to life the illustrations of Al Hirschfeld. Hirschfeld's drawings of Audrey Hepburn, Woody Allen, Whoopi Goldberg, Sarah Jessica Parker, Carol Channing, Liza Minelli, Bernadette Peters, Marilyn Monroe, Jerry Stiller, Matthew Broderick and Hirschfeld were transformed into sculptures.  They are all gathered around a dinner table with Hirschfeld off to the side at his drawing table.

 

 

 

And here is Cartier, all wrapped up in a big red bow.

NYC Holiday Windows 2013 - Part I

My favorite of the NYC holiday windows were Bergdorf Goodman's "Holiday on Ice"on Fifth Avenue. The windows featured a variety of year round holidays, including the 4th of July, Valentine's Day and Halloween, all cast in a frozen landscape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Across the street is the men's department whose windows, although much simpler in design, were equally beautiful with their snow covered animals and iced windows.

I didn't bring along my camera for this trip, so all photos were taken with my iphone.  Next up, Tiffany & Co and Henri Bendel.

Creative Window Displays

Just returned from a trip to NYC.  It's always a thrill to come across a creative window display and my favorite discovery this weekend was found at Kate Paperie's SoHo location.

 

This dress, completely fashioned from paper was particularly stunning.  I love the sublte vintage color palette, intricate cut-out leaves and the placement of the map down the center panel.

 

 

The following dress, created with paper, invitations and envelopes was equally fabulous.

Copenhagen's Royal Palaces & Castles

As a royal city, Copenhagen is rich in history with palaces, monuments and castles.  We visited Christiansborg Palace which houses the Danish parliament, Supreme Court, the prime minister's offices, and Royal reception rooms.  It once served as the Royal residence, but after a devasting fire the Royal residence was moved to Amalienborg Palace.

 

 

The Royal stables and coaches are also located at Christianborg.  During our visit, we were able to see several of the palace's white horses being trained and exercised.

  

Rosenborg Castle is home to some of Denmark's greatest cultural treasures. The coronation throne and crown jewels are on display here, as well as the Rosenborg tapestries.

 

The coronation throne, guarded by three silver lions.

Before moving on to our visit to Norway, my next post will wrap up our stay in Copenhagen with a few photos from Copenhagen's beautiful waterfront and old canals - my favorite area of the city.