Belki Whole Foods Market'imiz yok henüz ama buyrunuz ülkemizden leziz kozmetik ürünler hakkında Türkçe bir "post"...

Here is another great gift idea for your precious pre-literate, newly literate 0-6 year olds. We buy a lot of books for our kids. Unfortunately some end up being room decor while others end up being licked, read and re-read over and over again. Here is a selection of our favourites from our library. I have also included five creative ways to gift books to your friends and family... 

If you follow this blog you know that I am a big fan of "Scandinavian design"," natural & neutral decorating" and "modern organic aesthetic" styles. In fact, all of these terms mean pretty much the same thing. I also like concepts such as "Simple luxe", "High-Low decorating", "Affordable luxury", "Bringing the Outdoors In"...the list is long but I won't bore you with the fancy language...

My five year old daughter says that her favourite activities in life are packing suitcases, organising closets and grocery shopping. Yes, it appears that I am raising a mini-me.  I took over grocery shopping duties for my family at age 18 when I got my driver's license in Canada. I must confess that up until very recently grocery shopping in North America or parts of Europe was much, much more pleasurable than market shopping in Istanbul. All the big players in Turkey were greatly lagging behind in the game in terms of the ritzy, glitzy, enticing, beguiling grocery-store models we were used to from our international experiences...and the products themselves were a mess in terms of packaging, labelling and product variety/options. 

More recently quality food products that are pleasantly packaged have started popping up all over the place. Here are my favourite products...I have tried them all but these are by far the best. See which products made my list...

This past weekend we had a lovely dinner at Macakizi Hotel in Bodrum. It was the first time we ate in the newly winterized restaurant which had a fabulous new fall fine dining feel. The warm chestnut soup adorned with lemon foam served as an amuse-bouche definitely amused my palate and set the tone for the revised menu from which I ordered cauliflower carpaccio and homemade ricotta gnocci. De-lish!! 

But what does all this have to do with ceramics you might be wondering...Since every detail at Macakizi is always meticilously planned, when I saw their gorgeous tableware last night it took me about a nanosecond to flip over the perfectly thin and round bread plate to check out the brand. (Can you guess which ones were at Macakizi?)

Read on to see my four most favourite fine porcelain/ceramics designers...these will all take tablescapes to the next level...

What do you think of when you think of fall? Here are the first words that pop into my head...halloween, pumpkins, orange, caramel, fall foliage, fireplaces, cozy sweaters, entertaining, pine cones, hunter boots, candles and roquefort-pumkinpie-whisky feasts... 

Read on to see how to add some fall splendour into your life...

One of the happiest days of my life was my wedding day…followed by the birth of daughter number one, the birth of daughter number two and the day I had eradicated a slew of cancer cells from my body. However, high up there on my list of really good days are the following: the day I first drove to IKEA by myself when I was 18 after having fallen asleep reading the IKEA catalog for about 12 years (it was my Goodnight Moon), the year I bought my first MAC Russian Red lipstick and the day I sold sunglasses to Sade (the singer) who  told me I was prettier than Winona Ryder (a big compliment in the 90's). 

The day I moved to Turkey ("all by myself"…as my three year old constantly declares) on a crisp November day in 1998 was also pretty big.  Many career and personal highs (and lows) followed but you can be sure that I had a huge smile on my face the days IKEA, MAC, Zara Home, AVEDA, H&M, H&M Kids, COS and Crate & Barrel arrived in Turkey. So, it is with great pleasure (and slight embarrassment ) that I announce my joy at the eminent arrival of H&M HOME in Turkey in on September 18…(appropriately 6 days after my birthday). Read on to find out why H&M HOME is the epitome of simple and splendid and why I might not be so shallow/crazy after all...

September is a good time to refresh yourself and your wardrobe. Here are a few simple, stylish, clean, chic, casual selections from COS, Mango and Zara. They are all staple pieces which you can dress up or dress down. Each was carefully chosen from the new F/W 2014-2015 collections. All are very affordable but are so chic that they definitely do not give away their price points. As always…lots of neutrals (grey, black, white, khaki, tan )+ shots of color here and there. Let me know what you think…

Here it is…the list of my favorite Istanbul restaurants organized by neighborhood and other useful categories. There are exactly 36 entries on this list. Some are uber-hip while some are small neighborhood classics. I hope you have a chance to visit all 36 while you are here. Fish restaurants are not included on this list as I feel that Istanbul's fish and raki fans merit an entire post of their own. Read on to find out which restaurants made my list.

I have probably tried every single children's shampoo, oil, cream and wet-wipe on the market. With two girls under the age of 5 and lots of product mishaps in which entire bottles of product are "accidentally" spilt, poured, squirted, squeezed, pumped out on to the bathroom tiles, walls or mirrors, one gets price-conscious pretty quickly. Obviously I don't want to buy products for my children based solely on value but it is becomes a serious consideration after a few pricey disappointments… After lots and lots of research and trial and error, I have chosen my favorite 8 beauty products which work beautifully on beauties of all ages. Five of the eight products are from Turkish companies but all are available throughout Turkey.

I don't know where to start praising this Turkish colognes & beauty products company. Should I start by commending them on their amazing re-branding, comprehensive new product development or courageous expansion via self-branded boutiques? Should I talk about how amazing it means to be "depuis 1895" in any consumer goods field? Should I talk about how absolutely simple and splendid their new stores look and feel and smell? Or should I talk about my first shopping experience at their Zorlu location…guess how many products I purchased on this first visit?

I recently had the pleasure of designing from scratch an entire model home in a beautiful new residential development  literally in the woods in Çekmeköy, Istanbul. This duplex flat comprised of three spacious bedrooms and two bathrooms has exactly four super spacious terraces overlooking gorgeous greenery. It is a boutique project comprised of 60 units and located within exceptionally easy reach of all amenities and the Asian side's commercial/financial hubs. Check out the project in person if you are either on the market for a new home or want to be inspired by the styling of the house or if you just want to dream about how amazing it might be to live that close to the city but still be so immersed in nature…ESSA FLORA

Read on to see how it is possible to decorate an entire house in 10 days for an impressively low budget.

It is not easy to find simple and splendid beachwear. Much of what I have come across lately is either too sexy (cheap-looking), too polyester (cheap-feeling) or way way too expensive (not cheap enough).  I went to a charity fundraiser bazaar yesterday where there were literally thousands of kaftans, tunics, beach dresses and beach "gowns" on display but none were to my liking…

Here is a selection of stylish yet simple beachwear to guarantee you won't look like a burlesque-performing-leopard-from-Bollywood (an unfortunate look you will see often on our beaches).

Our homes are our sanctuaries. They should ideally be comfortable and calm and chic… Actually it isn't that difficult to strike this balance. Eclectic is my favorite decorating style. It is forgiving and when done well, it is visually very interesting and exudes character and individuality.

"Eclectic modern", "ethnic modern", "eclectic scandinavian", "modern organic", "modern rustic", "modern vintage" these are all different terms which signify decorating schemes which have warmth and lots points of interest without becoming too complicated, heavy or dated. When the individual pieces are chosen with care yet mixed well, rooms that are decorated in this style are simple, splendid and timeless…

Read on to find out how to achieve this style and where to shop for great pieces...

First a few facts…Lets see if you can guess the brand...

Founded: 
15 March 1949 
Headquarters: 
Hamburg, Germany 
Industry:
Consumer Goods and retail
Revenues: 
€3.5 billion in 2013
Employees: 
Over 12,450 worldwide, of which 8,500 in Germany

As a follow up to my previous post I want to tempt you even further with beautiful selections from the Martha Stewart Collection's red, white and blue beauties…I have included home linens, kitchenware and beautiful entertaining pieces that are sure to make your next party or any everyday celebration a simple and chic event.

You know of my blue and white obsession but when red is added into the mix, I only get more and more excited. This is maybe because I was born in Utah :-)

You cannot help but think of American, British or French references when these three colors come together. But when Martha Stewart comes into the mix all I can think of is Americana and southern style entertaining and fourth of July parties….

See if these cakes and pies and beautiful products inspire you to have a lovely red, blue and white dessert buffet or brunch sometime soon...

I have received dozens of requests for a Turkish version of my splendid actors/celebrities list so here it goes…

I must confess that I had to do a lot of googling to find these guys names and jog my memory as I do not watch a lot of Turkish dramas. I was finally able to come up with a list of 10 actors that are so super charismatic that they could easily be huge in Hollywood. 

My favorite Turkish male celebrity is of course Dr. Mehmet Oz (above) who is already huge in Hollywood and who teaches me things like how to combat cellulite and wrinkles on a daily basis!?! I cannot say that the others on this list have been as useful to me but they are definitely nice to look at.

Can you guess who made it in to my top ten list?

We are all back on our diets. And some of us have even started working out…

I know that mid-May is a little late to be hitting the gym or the track for a bikini ready body in June but better late than never has always been my motto. At this rate, I should be smoking hot by about November 2015.

But if there is going to be shopping involved to get fit or look good on the beach then I guess I am going have to amp up my workout/beach wardrobe so that I can be fully invested in my new fitness regime. 

Take a look at the image gallery below for inspiration…I am sure some of these beauties--both for you and your kids--will have you clicking on the "shopping cart" icon of the amazing online retailer I am featuring in this post. As always, this tempting site delivers internationally so click with care...

In my previous post I tried to inspire you to get imaginative when styling your wine and cheese tables.  And….I almost heard some of you saying, "great spreads, but I don't have boards and bowls and platters and beautiful accessories like these…" 

Simple and Splendid to the rescue…here is my roundup of just a few of most beautiful serveware, platters, boards, bowls, plates, cheese accessories which you can purchase right here in Istanbul (or at least have delivered right to your door).

But first, Today's Top 5 SPLENDID STORES for housewares and home furnishings in ISTANBUL!!

I am not embarrassed to admit it…I USE FAKE FLOWERS. While I love fresh cut flowers, I do not always have the time or the budget to adorn my house with these beautiful splashes of color and freshness.  
So, sometimes, I use fake flowers. But I try to use them carefully and when possible, in combination with real leaves or twigs.

Many companies do not get to live a renaissance…and very few are lucky enough to be able to reinvent themselves with a ceramic chinoiserie bowl. 

This is probably an oversimplification of all of the hard strategic work the owners and executives at Yargıcı have done over the last couple of years to "rework" their brand. But this is how I have experienced their re-birth and have been excited by each new addition to/tweak of their brand and concept.

Click below to see updated photos (Zorlu Center Yargıcı Store…)

If a color could be both simple and splendid at the same time, which color would that be for you?? For me, BLUE in all its shades is especially splendid and using it in home decor or any kind of styling is especially easy. 

My Instagram followers and close friends will attest to the fact that this winter I had a little bit of a blue and white obsession either capturing and sharing all related images or taking it one step further and feverishly buying blue and white accessories for my home…

If you are looking to shop for a few blue and white items for your home for this spring/summer I highly recommend you checking out the following shops and inspirational images...

In my previous post I praised the Breton striped top and hopefully inspired you to get yourself a few striped pieces. Here are a few of my favorite Breton stripes from the spring summer 2014 collections. All are easily available in international brick and mortar or online stores.