Like a fine blended wine, Healdsburg tantalizes with its heady mix of small town charm, eclectic boutiques, incredible eateries and historic homes. And the wine—don’t forget the wine! About an hour and a half drive from San Francisco brings you to…
Tag: san francisco copywriter
ForbesLife: Portuguese Paradise Found
With swoon-worthy beaches and dramatic red cliffs, the Algarve rightfully tops the bucket lists. On the flipside, there’s a chunk of Portugal’s southern plain that fails the fantasy with drab hotels and apartment complexes skewing coastal vistas. But if you know…
ForbesLife: Lisbon’s Most Luxurious Retreats
Mosaic sidewalks, intricate tile designs, and pastel-hued buildings: Lisbon’s distinct and colorful personality shines from every cobbled hilltop and leafy square. And these six luxurious retreats—from centuries old palaces laden with Portuguese history to new boutiques brimming with local charm—are…
ForbesLife: Three Ultra-Romantic Provence Hideaways for Fall
There’s romance—and then there’s Provence in the fall where autumn hues and golden sunrays paint sprawling vineyards, rolling fields, and ancient stone villages in a beauty beyond compare. And for a très magnifique escape to explore it all, head to…
ForbesLife: The Italian Riviera’s Garden Paradise: Villa della Pergola
Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre—fuggedaboutit. For an Italian hideaway that puts your seaside dreams to shame head to the under-the-radar Riviera town of Alassio, where cypress and palm tree-laden hillsides, dancing blue seas, and some of the best sandy…
ForbesLife: Finding Zen Luxury in Weggis, Switzerland
Mark Twain sought solace and inspiration in the hills of Weggis, Switzerland. And it’s not hard to see why—blame it on the seemingly endless serene waters of Lake Lucerne; the surrounding Swiss Alps with unfathomable peaks and forested crevices; or…
ForbesLife: Vacation Like the Rich in St. Moritz
Nix the jetsetter crowds and crispy winters, and book yourself a final summer sojourn in St. Moritz complete with lake sailing, spa pampering, mountaintop dining, and seaplane gliding over the awe-inspiring Swiss Alps. With low-season rates, sunbathing temps, and sublime…
ForbesLife: 4 Dreamy Escapes to Live Out Your Lake Zurich Fairytales
Stroll along Lake Zurich’s tree-lined promenade, past sun-drenched cafes, idyllic harbors, and Caribbean-hued swimming spots, and you can’t help but fall in love with this City of Water. Better yet, check into one of these dreamy Zurich escapes for the…
ForbesLife: Get the Royal Treatment at These 6 Vienna Hotels
Mix a glamorous high-society past with a design-driven present and you’ve got oh-my-god-I-never-want-to-leave-you Vienna. Where swanky cafes (with decadent tortes) and creatively-minded local boutiques (like newly-opened Veralie) mingle with grand gilded buildings, marble fountains, historic concert halls, and an unfathomable museum…
ForbesLife: Summer in Salzburg
While Salzburg may be famed for its picturesque Sound of Music hilltops and cityscapes come summertime—when the temps rise and the world-renowned music and arts festival kicks-in—this charming old-world city turns into The Sound of Tourists. So how do you make the most of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s hometown…
ForbesLife: Escape to the Most Luxurious Retreat in Lienz, Austria
If any of my friends had told me this place existed I wouldn’t have believed it. “Yeah right,” I’d think flipping through their insane vacation pics straight out of The Sound of Music, “there’s no way it looks like that in person.” Then…
ForbesLife: 4 Prague Hotels That Need To Be On Your Bucket List Now
Stunning vistas, delicious local eats, and anything but cookie-cutter design: consider Czech-ing into one of these standout Prague retreats to take your stay from ordinary to extraordinary in the city of a hundred spires. 1. Le Palais Art Hotel (Preferred Hotels…
ForbesLife: 5 Florence Hotels With To-Die-For Views
From the bridges of the Arno to the iconic Duomo, the red-tiled roofs to the quaint cobbled alleyways, Florence is undeniably one of the world’s most beautiful cities. So nix the tourist crowds and check into one of these stellar…
ForbesLife: 6 Romantic Escapes to Live Out Your Italian Dreams
Rolling hills of Tuscan vineyards; ancient arcades of Bologna; and picturesque cliff-side villages of Lake Como. No matter the setting, Northern Italy poses an idyllic scene. And these intimate escapes bring you even closer into the region’s spectacular beauty. 1. Relais…
Communication Arts: Lessons Learned – Top agency creatives share best advice from valued mentors
I’ve been a freelancer the majority of my creative career, first as a designer, and then as a copywriter. I purposefully chose this DIY path for the freedom it entailed (hello, coffee shop-turned-offices and makeup-free workdays). But for all the…
Communication Arts: Stolen – Whose work is it anyway?
I’ll never forget the first time my creative work was ripped-off. It was the summer of 2006. I discovered a designer was trying to claim credit for a brochure I had created. Actually, she was an acquaintance who had designed…
HOW Magazine: Live a Double Creative Life
Employers, clients, you name it – everyone wants a jack-of-all-trades creative (read: someone insanely talented with octopus arms that can do 25 jobs in one afternoon and barely break a sweat). We all know those expectations are absurd and can…
Communication Arts: So…How Do Virtual Creative Agencies Work?
For an industry built around forward-thinking ideas and a universe of inventive minds, you’d think someone would’ve reimagined the traditional creative firm long ago. Sure, offices have gotten facelifts, spaces are more open and cubicle walls have been lowered. But…
Entrepreneur Magazine: Eye-Popping Branding
How do you communicate quality and craftsmanship through branding when those attributes have been so over-touted (and under-realized) they’ve lost virtually all meaning to consumers? Check out my article below on how San Francisco-based Chen Design Associates helped startup The Brownie…
Entrepreneur Magazine: Branding at Work
From drab cubicles and cardboard curtains to game rooms and concert stages, startup offices runs the gamut from bare-bones to over-the-top-perks. But if the look doesn’t jibe with your company’s brand, you may be missing out on a valuable opportunity…
Travel + Leisure Magazine: America’s Most Romantic Winter Destinations
“When we venture out to the wide, open plains and drive up the mountains, it feels like we’re the only ones there,” says Dan Warner, reflecting on the appeal of Jackson, WY. The L.A.-based COO of Atlas Digital production company…
Entrepreneur Magazine: Refinery29 Gets A Branding Makeover
Everyone can use a makeover now and again – even a super stylish site like Refinery29. For the November issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, I talk all things design with Refinery29 founder Justin Stefano along with the brand wizards at Wolff Olins…
Woohoo! Copywriting Projects Win Awards in HOW Magazine
I’m super excited to share that I have TWO copywriting projects featured in HOW Magazine’s Promotion and Design Annual! The first is the utterly inventive Creative (un)Blocks (image below), a self-promotion for Neenah Paper designed by Chen Design Associates. It was selected…
San Francisco Magazine: A Bonfire Fest
There are a gazillion reasons why I love Northern California. Topping the charts? Fall weather that feels like summer and the utterly romantic coastal town of Carmel-By-the-Sea. Combine the two and it’s the perfect recipe for a bonfire-on-the-beach weekend getaway. CHECK…
Communication Arts: Book Review
For the latest issue of Communication Arts (one of my favorite design magazines ever!), I had the awesome opportunity to review design editor Mason Currey’s new blog-turned-book, Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, which snapshots the daily routines and habits of over…
Dwell Magazine: A Seaside Art Hotel in Los Cabos
Besides white-sand beaches and warm weather, creative geeks have a new reason to head to Los Cabos. Hotel El Ganzo is a newly opened modern design escape set on a quiet marina in Puerto Los Cabos, the less-developed neighbor to…
CNN Travel Article: Best Places to Escape the Wired World
There’s nothing like stealing away to that tropical island hideaway only to have email bleeps, blaring tablets, and annoyingly loud cell-phone talkers drowning out the serene sounds of the ocean. In my latest article for CNN, I uncover the 10…
Spa Magazine Article – At Your Room Service: Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Chicago
For the latest issue of SPA MAGAZINE, I uncover what makes Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Chicago the ultimate urban unplug. Check out my article below:
Communication Arts Magazine: Design Book Reviews
For the latest issue of Communication Arts, I had the awesome opportunity to review two stellar design books dripping with creative inspiration: Saul Bass: A Life in Film and Design and Paula Scher MAPS. Check out the reviews below (click image…
PRINT Magazine Article – Book Review of Vogue: The Covers
Strike a pose – specifically, a comfy reading position. As we ring in the New Year, iconic magazine Vogue invites us to look back on 120-years of style with their luxe coffee table archive, “Vogue: The Covers.” And just as crazy-excited “Sex and the…
Design Bureau article: 5 Designers / 5 Questions
In the September/October 2011 issue of Design Bureau Magazine, I continue my 5 Designers/ 5 Questions column tapping the creative minds of the judging panel for Chicago’s Archive11 student typography event. Interviewing the industry’s coolest designers–Stefan Bucher, James Goggin, Robert Petrick, Paul…
California Home+Design: THE SCOOP – SF’S CIAO BELLA GELATERIA GETS A TASTY REDESIGN
Gelato enthusiasts be advised: Although the colorful new tiles in SF’s Ciao Bella shop are a dead-on match to their scoop-worthy flavors – the walls are not meant for licking. With a sweet new revamp, you’ll need all the willpower you can…
HowDesign Magazine: Feature Article!
The February 2010 issue of HOW magazine is currently on newstands and in bookstores across the country. The article I wrote, “Turn Downtime into Playtime” features the awesome work by design firms Flywheel Design, Brand Engine, and graphic designer France Liddell….