Elizabeth Taylor RIP

I always felt connected to Elizabeth Taylor. I had an obsession with old movies in high school, and loved her in Cleopatra, Butterfield 8, and National Velvet. But when I ran away to Puerto Vallarta at 19, I realized that she had lived there, too. She gave the town it's fame, when she accompanied Richard Burton to film The Night of the Iguana. They lived in PV for many years, in Casa Kimberley. I have toured the house, actually two houses on opposite sides of the street, with a pink bridge connecting them. What a great idea for spouses who were known for their passionate battles as well as passionate lovemaking. Every time I introduced myself as Elizabeth, an older local would say, "Elizabeth Taylor", for her name meant everything to the people there.
She was a great beauty and a great personality and will be missed.
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Mexico Style - Sunset View Restaurant

Puerto Vallarta is located in Banderas Bay, which is the second largest bay in North America. It has tons of waterfront ranging from the Marina (tomorrow's post) all the way down to Conchas Chinas (where the villa for the wedding reception was). The area of Olas Altas, or Los Muertos, is the original fishing village - what the French Quarter is to New Orleans. It has a huge gay nightlife scene, but it is also the oldest part of Vallarta (and my favorite part) and has some great restaurants and shopping. Many people gather at the different restaurants on the beach for breakfast and for sunset watching. My fave for sunsets is El Dorado, which has been newly redecorated with a vintage Acapulco feel. The calamari is the best I have ever had - and the peachy sunset is not too shabby, either.
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Mexico Style - Wedding Reception/Villa

Back from Puerto Vallarta and I will save my recommendations for my guest post on Sabra's blog - The Lonely Wife Project. PV has grown and changed so much since I lived there and besides the mall and huge movie theatres, etc.. there are also now some very stylish places to go out. I liked it better when it was a sleepy fishing village but I guess you can't stop progress and there are some really beautiful homes and businesses there now. I was lucky enough to attend a wedding reception at a gorgeous 9 bedroom villa on Friday night. This house belongs to friends of the bride's family, but can be rented out - can you imagine a weekend with the girls here? Fab! And how gorgeous is the bride?!
So glad to be home (although the streets are littered with remnants from Mardi Gras...) Stay tuned for more Mexico Style posts this week!
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P.S. Jalisco (the state Puerto Vallarta is in) is the birthplace of tequila and mariachi. I loved the mariachi at this reception, and I had them at my own wedding, which was on the beach in PV. Too bad my love of mariachi music lasted longer than the marriage!

Outfit Auditions

So I am leaving at 5 am for Mexico and all of my clothing wanted to come with, so I held tryouts. Each outfit had to strut it's stuff on my new rug - accessories and all. It was a nerve racking audition process, but four or five of my faves made the cut.
Here is one that will be joining me in Puerto Vallarta for an all-expenses paid vacay. For the rest of what I pack, eat, do, shop for, and avoid in PV, stay tuned on my blogging bestie Sabra's blog - I will have a guest post there on my fave travel destination (Mexico, natch) at the end of the month when she goes to Fiji! Jealous, much?
See you next week!
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Daydreaming...

My family celebrated Christmas this past weekend, so the holidays are really over for me. When the end of the year looms and New Year's is on the horizon, my thoughts often turn to what I am doing with my life and where I would like to be in the next year. I will finish my Masters in May and I will send out letters to Ralph Pucci and a couple other dream jobs. But when the economy is down and I am not feeling upbeat, I often daydream of going back to Mexico. It is so funny because after six years there I was desperate to come back to the States! If I were to run away to Puerto Vallarta again I would definitely do it in style this time. This Zimmermann swimsuit and DVF wedges would be in my Louis Vuitton bag and I would decorate my apartment to look like Kelly Wearstler's Tides Hotel in Miami. Where do you dream of going?
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