Hot Mess Monday

The Marbella Bed From Z Gallerie. What in the Hugh Hefner hell kind of goddamn bed is this? It's round but it's not round, faux leather with metal tray tables? Am I at a bus stop? I'm so confused. Somebody stop this insanity!

I Said A Louis Louis

Anniversary wishes are in order for the Louis Vuitton workshop of Asnieres (just outside of Paris) as they have been producing goods for Louis Vuitton for 150 years. Fifth generation Patrick-Louis Vuitton currently presides over the luxury goods company and in the tradition of its famous collaborations (Murakami, Stephen Sprouse, etc.) Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs will be heading up a series of singular pieces with influences from across the boards. And by boards I mean artist Damien Hirst, Photographer Annie Lebovitz, musician Gustavo Santaolalla, and chef Ferran Adria. Not a bad line up if I do say so myself.

Marc himself wanted to crate a signature piece for mans best friend. Jacobs modeled these for his two Bull Terriers and included a photo of himself inside.

And Chef Ferran wanted something that rolled with a removable case to easily check his knives when flying.

Are these pieces available at your local LV store? The answer is of course not.

However, on November 17th Sotheby's London will auction these one of a kind pieces off with all the benefits going to the Red Cross. My bid would go towards this one, love the compartments!

Leibovitz loves her backpack.

But she also wanted a duffle for camera equipment.

This case is stunning, but I don't know how I feel about goatskin. The whole alligator thing is often found in high end luxury goods but Billy Goats is a whole new kind of the sads for me. I love goats, they are so cute!

And last but not least an instrument case by the famed Argentine musician. Not pictured is Hirst's butterfly covered case. Sigh.

Rub A Dub Dub

Yellow Goat Design is no longer just a lighting company. These are some serious bathtubs. The Aussie based firm has just launched this new bathtub series made of materials such as acrylic, plywood and ceramic polyurethane among others and the series is available in custom sizes.

Move Over Jon and Kate

Last night I caught The Little Couple on TLC for the first time. I am absolutely in love with these two! It was sweet yet intelligent as Bill Klein (4 feet) and Jen Arnold (3 feet 2 inches) share their life as newlyweds and their struggles with dwarfism in society. They may be the most honest, bravest people on reality TV. Bill is a business man who works from home and Jen is a neonatologist who works in the Texas Children's Hospital NICU. I have a feeling this is going to be the next big TLC hit.

Our Maui Vacation

So hubby's birthday was on October 24th and I planned a quick little trip to Maui as his gift. The United flight was relaxing and the seats were surprisingly comfy. I knew Maui would be amazing when I was greeted by this fabulous little sign outside the women's restroom in the West Maui Airport.

We stayed at the Hyatt in Kaanapali and it was top notch. We had a lovely little room complete with custom Hawaiian furnishings and bedding.

We like staying with the Hyatt chain because their rewards are good and the beds always deliver a good night's sleep.

Our view was incredible!

The hotel staff greeted us with Champagne and shell necklaces. Good times! We spent most of our first day by the pool.

The Hyatt was a five minute walk from Whaler's Village, a quaint outdoor shopping mall with some tasty restaurants. These lovely bones once belonged to a Sperm Whale.

And I spied this cute children's book in a shop window.

We grabbed a light dinner at Hula Grill and walked around the grounds our first night. We stumbled upon a perfectly hung hammock and stopped to gaze at the stars.

When we got back to our room, there were some delicious chocolates on our pillows with a beautiful Hawaiian proverb and some classic surf art.

The hotel lobby was out of this world. The Balinese theme was well maintained and the grounds were lush. There were fantastic shops and a Macy's, it doesn't get any better.

The open atrium reminded me of our favorite hotel in NYC, the Tribeca Grand.

There were numerous antique statues throughout the Hyatt. These were some of my favorites.

Our pool was perfection. There were waterfalls, grottoes and a slide that literally scared me to near death.

I spent as much time as I could at the pool. Hubby made fast friends with Glenn, the best bartender in Maui. We also made some friends with some fellow tourists, shouts out to T, Bob and Kylie! I miss those poi sliders.

There was the most incredible breakfast buffet every morning. It could not have been better.

The hotel was home to a bunch of exotic animals like these African cranes. There was a huge Koi pond with some of the biggest, most beautiful Koi I have ever seen.

This Macaw named Roger was a flirt and a show-off. Here he is doing a 180 through his brass ring.

Black and white swans lived in the pond by the restaurant.

And yes, there was a penguin pond! These African penguins were very vocal in the morning and spent most of their time just hanging out.

So cute!

We walked down to Kaanapali beach, home to Black Rock and some of the island's best snorkeling. This picture might not look like much, but it is in fact a giant sea turtle. There were two of them on them swimming by the rocks, I was mesmerized!

They were so big and so docile, check out my video at the end of the post.

Black Rock is a famed jumping spot. I couldn't be bothered to swim that far but it did look like fun!

We drove into the little town of Lahaina so hubby could rent a surfboard. I had serious plans for a Hawaiian Ice.

Lahaina has some historic structures and is home to the island's harbor. As you can see, it wasn't the best day for waves but hubby still went for it.

He caught a few until....

He caught his knee of a reef, ouch!

Not wanting to be shark bait, he called it a day!

That night was his birthday and I had made reservations at the highly recommended Lahaina Grill, an obvious hot spot, just ask the locals. In all honesty, we ate like kings the entire time we were there. Here are some of the restaurants we loved:

Lahaina Grill: Okay, this is where I get serious. This was the best Sweet Maui French Onion Soup I have ever tasted. I'd go as far as to say there is nothing more delicious on the entire planet.

Hubby had some chops.

And I had a filet.

And we shared an exquisite Berry Pie. Happy birthday Joe Joe!

I know it wasn't my birthday, but I did manage to pick a little something up on this trip as well. Hubby bought me a 12mm Tahitian Black Pearl ring. He's the best! JaDIE! It is gorgeous!

The next night we tried out another highly recommended restaurant, Sansei. We fit right in with the locals as our waiter Brandon challenged hubby to a sushi roll eating contest next time we are on the island.

Now, when you want some serious Hawaiian food, there is nowhere better than Aloha Mixed Plate. It is SOOOOO GOOD!

The open air patio looks right out to the harbor. Our waitress on the left was a doll!

We drove around and checked out some other parts of the island. I spotted this tow-in longboard at a local surf shop. You'll know what this is about if you have ever seen the documentary Riding Giants. And if you haven't, go rent it right now, it's amazing!

We checked out J.T. Flemming beach, which was a lot like a state park. This picture's color is a little off because it started raining while we were there. It was still sunny as all hell, but there was rain coming down, crazy.

Ah, my little Jeep. I really enjoyed taking the top down and driving her around.

Last stop before the airport was Honolua. So even though this was our first trip to Maui, we are already planning to go back as soon as possible. Aloha!

Ace in the Hotel

Ace Hotel & Swim Club is one of the latest Palm Springs quirks to pop up in the desert. But what many don't know but soon come to love is the King's Highway Restaurant. This obscure little dive diner is Palm Springs chic with great grub and an interesting taxidermy diorama. Photos by Jade Chang.

Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs is one of four boutique hotels in this rock n roll chain with other locations in Portland, Seattle and New York. The Palm Springs location is on my radar of places to lay my head. The Ace philosophy is that of creating an egalitarian atmosphere. I also happen to know they like cutting edge artists. My stay may be moved up considerably if they should happen to acquire some of hubby's artwork. Hey Ace Hotel, step up to the JoeX2 plate!

Save Some Dough, Feed The Hungry

What a great opportunity to get a discount and do something good! Los Angeles Sunset CB2 will be offering 15% off a CB2 shopping trip anytime during November 9 - 25 when you bring 5 non-perishable food items to donate to LA Regional Foodbank. Stock up on everything you need for Thanksgiving!

Hot Mess Monday

Toto's Miyabi Plum & Pine Toilet. Why?

Happy Halloween

We are back from Maui but I am so damn busy trying to catch up I'll be missing Halloween tomorrow, so lame I know. Here's last year's costume, have a good weekend everyone! I'll be back next week with vacation pictures!

Maui Here We Come

I'll be taking a blogcation for the next several days as there are crystal blue waters and sandy beaches screaming my name. I'll be back later next week with vacation photos! Have a great weekend!