The Chateau Marmont hotel revisited....and the work of Matt Jones

Living in L.A., I couldn't resist writing a few lines on the legendary hotel. A Los Angeles icon, the Chateau Marmont has hosted a long list of stars and legends. Well known for its low-key glamour and discretion, the hotel was a popular place for those wishing to keep their anonymity.

Photo, courtesy of Matt Jones with model Gisele Bundchen in the background. The fashion photographer has currently a solo exhibition at the Oblong Gallery in London.
Source Another Magazine

Chateau Marmont

A few quotes
"Hollywood's Chateau Marmont hotel has a reputation as a place to misbehave, and for guests who never want to leave."
"Touched with scandal and commemorated in literature."

Notable people and events

• Howard Hughes moved into the attic of the hotel and would spy on beautiful women in the pool area using prism binoculars.
• Harry Cohn, founder of Columbia Pictures, told William Holden and Glenn Ford, "If you are going to get in trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont."
• Lindsay Lohan stayed at the hotel following her July 24, 2007, arrest for drunk driving. She also lived at the Chateau between 2005 and 2006.
• English author Nigel Williams documents his stay at the hotel in his 1994 travelogue, From Wimbledon to Waco.
• Britney Spears was reportedly banned from the hotel after an incident in 2007 where she allegedly smeared her gourmet dinner on her face. Outraged diners demanded the management to kick her out for good; which they did. Her name is now added to the Marmont's "Black List". ^[5]

Via Wikipedia

Karen Portaleo and her amazing creations

To continue on my food theme..... more tasty creations.... And no, they are not designer handbags, they are amazing cakes created by Karen Portaleo.

The cakes are the work of Highland Bakery, based in Atlanta, Georgia. The team of bakers is headed by Karen Portaleo, a former clay sculptor, She said: "When a client comes in I try and get a feel for their event and what they want - normally they are trying to tell a story about themselves. I try not to take much longer than two days because the cake has to be tasty and fresh. If it's a really complex cake then we will work through the night to keep it moist.

The Louis Vuitton cake, the most expensive cake

A Gucci Bag

Another Gucci Bag

Iris shoe cake

England cake

Elton John's Birthday cake

Corset cake

Karen Portaleo won the World's Most Amazing Cake comp in 2008 with this Frida Kahlo inspired cake

Courtesy of Telegraph.co.uk

To see more of Karen Portaleo's amazing cakes

Elene Usdin, "Femmes d'interieur".

Elene Usdin is a Paris based artist who works primarily in photography. Usdin's work is very diverse and includes work for commercial clients, fashion publications and herself as the subject.

About her series "Femmes d'interieur" which can be translated as "Domesticated Women", Usdin says: This is a piece of work that focuses on women, on how they are represented in classical art, indeed on the “codes” that surround and determine their representation, from the Renaissance to today. I chose to observe the backgrounds that encase, and to some extent determine, the way women are portrayed, from a Florentine countryside to the overwrought interior of a painter’s studio. These portraits reveal more than they intend, they reveal a great deal about the social position of a woman, from the way she is appareled and coiffed to the attitude she is made to strike.

Femmes d'interieur

2009-2010

Photos, courtesy of Elene Usdin

Trains vs planes, part 1

If I had the choice, I would choose trains......
The X-Train, the new luxe train project will launch in late 2011 and will take passengers from L.A. to Vegas and back with all the amenities, bars, sports lounges, gaming rooms....

The Vegas / L.A. X Train

A visit to the X Train's Web site

Another brand new train, the Maharajas Express, India's new luxury train running between Mumbai and Kolkata.

Maharajas Express

See more features on image library

To continue on the subject of trains, let's take a look at the Blue Train, a South Africa's luxury liner on wheels.

And for the last one, I chose The Orient - Express.

A visit to the cabins with their 3D animations