You’re eye don’t deceive you. Those are indeed giraffes poking their heads inside that home. Or I should say, the Giraffe Manor Hotel, and if you book a night, they’ll be peeking in on you and begging for your breakfast. You may even be lucky enough to get a giraffe kiss.
Located right next to the equator in Nairobi, Kenya, the Giraffe Manor is home to a herd of Rothschild giraffes. Every morning, the giraffes swing by for breakfast, sticking their long necks inside the windows looking for a tasty treat. And if they get hungry in the afternoon, they may even stop by for cocktail hour or a late night snack, and guess what. You get to feed them. Unlike most establishments who forbid catering to animals, here it’s encouraged, and has been since 1974 when the manor’s owners Betty and Jock Leslie-Melville adopted their first Rothschild giraffe, Daisy.
At the time, giraffes from the nearby national park were already wandering into their yard and poking their heads in the windows. So when Betty heard the population of Rothschild giraffes had shrunk to a mere 120 members and was in danger of extinction due to being favored by hunters and their habitat being turned into farmland, she begged Jock to let her adopt one. And they did. Then two years later, they adopted five more. And so began their conservation effort to save the Rothschild giraffe.
The entire story is outlined in their book, “Raising Daisy Rothschild,” which was subsequently turned into the movie, “The Last Giraffe.” But the undoubted best way to understand their tender tale is to see it in person as so many others — including celebrities — have. Mick Jagger. Johnny Carson. Marlon Brando. To name a few.
The manor, modeled after a Scottish hunting lodge, offers six bedrooms, exquisite meals served three times a day and of course, the once-in-a-lifetime experience of petting and feeding giraffes. Unfortunately, once in a lifetime experiences often come with larger-than-normal price tags, and the Giraffe Manor Hotel is no exception.
But come on, you get to wake up to giraffes outside your window. How cool is that?
I grew up under the impression animal print could be described in one word: tacky. Maybe it was due to Cruella Deville or a mother who just wasn’t into it. Or maybe even, one too many episodes of “The Nanny.” But for whatever reason, I avoided animal print like the plague.
Until a few years ago. I started seeing rooms with zebra print rugs and cheetah print ottomans, and I — I liked them. And the more rooms I saw with animal print, I more I started to really dig it.
Animal print adds an exotic flair to any room. It can be edgy. It can be feminine. It can be chic. It can be hip. It can be bold. It can be subtle. In fact, in some rooms, it’s so subtle you don’t even notice it’s animal print. It just appears to be a really cool texture.
Look below to see what I mean. There are 35 examples of animal print rooms featuring cheetah, tiger, leopard or zebra print. Some are fabulously flamboyant. Others are understatedly elegant. As for the last one, I’ll let you decide.
Despite knowing we should wear sunscreen every day, most of us don’t for a very good reason. It’s sticky and gross. After one application, you become a human lint roller attracting everything from dirt to sand and even hair, which makes it far from ideal for everyday wear. Especially if you’re a woman who wears makeup. That whole idea of reapplication goes right out the window. Lathering greasy sunscreen over foundation completely ruins your flawless finish.
So when powder sunscreen hit the market a few years back, I jumped at the chance to use it and immediately became a convert. It’s easy to apply, goes on completely unnoticeable and best of all, it’s absolutely weightless. You don’t even feel it’s on. Plus, it works instantly. You don’t have to wait 30 minutes before entering the sun.
It’s the ultimate everyday sunscreen. Whoever invented it truly deserves a medal.
There’s only one drawback: it’s not so great around water. So when you hit the beach, stick to the slimy stuff. But for everyday wear, try the powder. You won’t regret it.
As for how well it works? I have the fairest of fair skin that blushes bright red at the slightest glance from the sun, yet every time I use power sunscreen my skin remains pearly white. So I’m convinced it the mineral blend that gives powder sunscreen its protective power does what it says and blocks the rays.
If you’re a fan of fun colors, cool patterns and artisanal goods, you’ll love block print fabric. Steeped in history, block printing has survived nearly 2,000 years — if not more. It originated in Asia; however, today most pieces come from India where they’re made by hand using a technique that’s been passed down from generation to generation.
To start, an artisan hand carves a pattern — which is often extremely detailed — into a block of wood. The block is then covered in ink and pressed into the fabric over and over again to create the design. Each color in the design must be applied with a different block. As a result, each piece of fabric is stamped anywhere from 500 to 3,000 times — or more.
Given the insane number of times each piece must be stamped and the pinpoint accuracy needed to do so, no two pieces are exactly alike. The mark of the artisan is left in the subtle variations from piece to piece, which is one of the most endearing qualities of block print fabric.
That, and the insane number of colors and patterns in which it’s offered. Blues. Greens. Pinks. Beige. You can find block print in nearly every color of the rainbow, and the patterns vary from extremely intricate — such as paisley and medallions — to simple geometrics.
There’s only one problem. Block print fabric and bedding can be somewhat hard to find, which is why I’ve rounded up a list of the 15 best places to get it. Some offer traditional textiles still printed in India, others offer a more modern take on the art and all are worth taking a look at.
Allem Studio: Offers block print quilts and pillow cases.
Bungalow: Offers block print quilts, pillows, tablecloths, napkins, kitchen towels and toiletry bags. Based in Denmark.
I can’t believe it. I’m getting married. It’s official. Everything is booked. Our flights. Our venue. Our photographer. And in just two months we’ll be taking off. I feel like shouting at the top of my lungs out of pure excitement and relief.
This has been a long journey.
A journey I’ve debated whether or not to share, but I’ve decided to go ahead because the takeaway is so inspiring. I hope it will strengthen your faith in good outcomes as it has completely renewed mine. So here we go.
When Brent and I first got engaged on New Years, I had the most vivid vision of us getting married in front of a small, old, stone chapel overlooking the sea with a reception at a villa similar to the Villa del Balbianello, made famous by Star Wars and Casino Royal.
Why? I had no idea. Never once had I dreamed about my wedding. But for some reason it felt so right, and when I told Brent about it, he said it was absolutely perfect — what he’d been picturing.
So we set out looking for it. And we looked. And we looked. Turns out there aren’t any stone chapels or villas overlooking the sea here in New England. At least, we couldn’t find any. And going international would mean our friends and family would have had a hard time making it. So we let go of our dreams, booked a different venue and planned a wedding our friends and family could easily attend.
But the universe, God, had other plans.
For a number of reasons, we had to cancel it all. Sadness loomed for weeks, and after much back and forth, we decided to elope on a honeymoon and throw a big wedding for everyone a year later.
So the looking began again. We looked at Fiji and Bora Bora. New Zealand and Australia. The Caribbean and the Maldives. England and Ireland. France and Italy. But nothing was clicking. We started to think we’d never get married. And then, completely by accident, I stumbled across the most perfect villa.
There was just one problem. It was in Croatia.
Anyone who payed attention during the early 90s will remember the Croatian War of Independence, and the last I’d heard the country was still being de-mined. So I almost ditched the idea. But then, curiosity got the best of me.
I started by looking into Croatia. Turns out it’s safe. Awesome. Then I looked into the island where the villa was located. It’s safe. Even more awesome. Then I looked up photos of the island, and I nearly wept out of shock, joy, awe and thanks.
My vision — our vision — was staring me right in the face.
Dotting the Croatian coast, you can find a plethora of small, old, stone chapels overlooking the sea, and in just two months we’ll be married in front of one. And later that night, we’ll celebrate in a stunning villa just down the road.
Wait a second. I have to pinch myself. It’s too good to be true. Yet it’s going to happen. It’s real, and the message rings loud and clear.
If everything in your life seems to be falling apart, don’t lose hope. Something even better than you had planned is waiting for you down the road. You just need to keep the faith, and most importantly, be open to new opportunities.
Dreams rarely come to fruition as planned. None of mine have. All too often, what we think is a string of bad luck ends up being the pathway to our dreams.
Of course, I say that with two months to go. Disaster could still be on the horizon. But I’m going to keep the faith, and believe in happy endings.
