Who Mara...

[AGBF]

Date: 6/26/2005 7:51:04 AM
Author: Jennifer5973
MOTHER OF ALL THAT IS HOLY...She's lucky I wasn't there--those footies would be HISTORY.

She is adorable, as always, Mara. The tissue picture reminded me of dinner with my neighbors a couple of weeks ago. We were eating outdoors and they have two small dogs. One took my husband's paper napkin off his lap and ran away with it, shredding it somewhere on their property. She then came back for the napkin with which he had replaced the first one, but he held onto it. So she went out into the yard and returned with some remnants of the first one, which she played with on the deck. When she went into my pocketbook and took out some tissues, my neighbor confiscated my handbag and put it inside!

Deb

 

[Mara]

Here are a few pictures from our recent trip to Palm Springs...we stayed at the Parker Palm Springs (www.theparkerpalmsprings.com) which was just AMAZING, I can''t rave enough about this place. For anyone taking a trip to PS in off-season and looking for a luxury resort at 1/2 the price of regular season, check it out. The grounds were breathtaking, the service and staff were just wonderful. I love the mountains in the background, so stark and yet beautiful...and at dusk the real beauty seems to come out as the sun goes down and the air cools a bit...we had a great time and it was hard to come home, but of course we missed Portia! Oh and dogs are welcome too but we figured she''d be bored in our room the whole time, so she stayed with ''grandma and grandpa''..my parents.

Here is a picture of their ''manifesto'' which was in our rooms, it''s pretty funny.

 

[Mara]

Here is a shot of the grounds at dusk as we are walking from our building/room to the main lobby area, we loved how lush everything looked but yet it was all 'desert' type plants, so they weren't forcing things like roses or pansies to grow in 110 degree heat. It still looked amazing, and yes they watered all day long!! You can see the stark San Jacinto mountains in the background.

 

[Mara]

This is one of my fave shots, it looked every bit as beautiful as this in person and yet even more so as the mountains were more visible with detail in person. The Parker had tons of bougainvaillea growing all over the buidlings, which were all whitewashed with plantation shutters, very old fashioned looking 'cool' look...and set off lovely against the mounatains and the 'greenery' of the rest of the landscape. The little umbrellas there in the bottom of the picture are the beginning of the saltwater pool area.

 

[Mara]

Inside their lobby building they had this amazing lounge...I describe this decor as 50''s Moroccan...the whole hotel was very eclectic in terms of decor with great uses of color against whites and darks, the restaurant was very 50''s with 50''s Austin Powers type music but yet still modern in a way as well. This used to be the old Merv Griffin resort where the Rat Pack and similar celebs would go, it was just remodeled and reopened last fall. We loved the history surrounding the place and appreciated that in ''modernizing'' it, they did not let go of the past and make it a typical sterile hotel. We absolutely LOVED the decor in every room we walked through.

 

[Mara]

and here is a small corner of the saltwater pool which was just amazing for the skin, not salty like the ocean at all but still felt wonderful. Again, the awesome decor and small 'detail' touches here and there really made for a feeling unlike staying at a 'hotel' but rather at an acquaintance's mansion...that is an acquaintance which gladly takes your money!!

We loved the jaunty little umbrellas with tassels!!

 

[Mara]

They had these little outdoor areas strewn all over the property which were really great for relaxing after coming back in from dinner...you could take your coffee or tea out there. They also had a few hammocks which we relaxed in one evening...the next evening we came to look for them and they were gone! They were back the next AM so we assumed they had been removed for cleaning.

In the background there you can see their outside patio of their restaurant, Norma's, the same one as in the Le Parker in NYC...amazing breakfasts...just divine!

 

[JohnQuixote]

Wow, Mara. I found myself leaning towards the west coast in my chair as I read this - your photos and descriptions are excellent. This place should get you to do a brochure.

Sounds like it hit the spot for you.

 

[Mara]

Hehe John...

Well I loved taking the shots also because their website isn''t that great, it''s all flash and so you have to sit there and wait for pix to scroll, but even from the website, I was not able to tell too much about the grounds and amenities etc..aka there aren''t pictures of alot of the stuff I wanted to see. So when we got there, I was not sure what to expect and figured if I wanted to tell people just how amazing this place is, I better have the pix to back it up!!

I''ve already told our ''group'' that we should take a trip either this fall before off-season ends or next summer all together since it would be a fabulous place for us all to hang out and relax together! As wonderful as it was for us couples...I could definitely see large groups like friends or family reunions etc since the grounds are so aptly suited to both couples (hammocks!) and groups (the fire pit and pool lounge etc!).

 

[MissAva]

Oh it''s lovely and not to formal or stiff. What a delight!

 

[mrssalvo]

Mara,
It looks incredible. Oh how I wished closer than a plane ride to the west coast.

 

[cutes814]

Mara,

I have just spent the last hour reading this whole thread. I''m so glad I got to know you better. Thanks for helping me out with my diamond...I really appreciate it.

You have such a wonderful heart on the inside and a perfect exterior as well.

 

[MrsFrk]

That place looks spectacular!

Palm Springs is actually very responsible with their water, their golf courses are lined with tile, they re-capture 75% of the water they use to maintain the greens, and they have an enourmous water treatment plant that provides most of the water to the metro area.

 

[Mara]

awww thanks Milly...too sweet!

re: the Parker in Palm Springs...I'm glad I seemed to capture the 'spirit' of the place...it was so beautiful in person! I can't stop raving about it to everyone who asks how the trip was. Definitely worth a visit if one plans to come to the West Coast!

 

[hoorray]

Mara, the pics look great, and the Parker looks wonderful. What a find... So many of the other resorts in the desert are more of the normal big hotel/resort that you expect to find. This looks like there is a surprise around every corner. Glad you had a great trip and survived the heat. I hear is is getting hotter there now...

 

[Mara]

It was 100 when we arrived Lop and about to be 115 the day we left. Seems like we left at the right time!

It''s so hot there honestly we don''t know how people actually live a LIFE. All we did was walk to the pool and we were sweaty and exhausted...hee hee. But I could see it being awesome in the winter when it''s cold elsewhere. When do you normally go and when do you leave?

The Parker was definitely a delightful surprise...we didn''t know what to expect from the photos online. We actually went to the Viceroy, Citron, for dinner one night....I had been looking at us staying there before we found the Parker and the difference in the hotels was like night and day. Viceroy was definitely ''cute'', small, it''s a boutique hotel, but after the Parker we are ruined FOREVER! We are already planning next year''s trip!

 

[kbaker]

Mara,
Do you have any hand shots of your ring?? Of course I love it!

 

[Mara]

kbaker, here are a few hand pix!

you DO know that the asscher in my avatar is just virtual?! i wish that was my stone.

 

[Mara]

and one head on!

 

[kbaker]

Nope, I did not know that. I was loooking for a thread because Asschers are getting so popular, but couldn''t find your ring. Thanks for posting. I love your real one too.

 

[hoorray]

Date: 7/9/2005 2:00:03 PM
Author: Mara
It was 100 when we arrived Lop and about to be 115 the day we left. Seems like we left at the right time!

It''s so hot there honestly we don''t know how people actually live a LIFE. All we did was walk to the pool and we were sweaty and exhausted...hee hee. But I could see it being awesome in the winter when it''s cold elsewhere. When do you normally go and when do you leave?

The Parker was definitely a delightful surprise...we didn''t know what to expect from the photos online. We actually went to the Viceroy, Citron, for dinner one night....I had been looking at us staying there before we found the Parker and the difference in the hotels was like night and day. Viceroy was definitely ''cute'', small, it''s a boutique hotel, but after the Parker we are ruined FOREVER! We are already planning next year''s trip!

whoops -- I guess I missed this -- haven''t been around much lately.

We leave late June -- weather dependant. If it doesn''t get toooo hot early, late April - June are the best months because most of the real snowbirds are gone, and we have the town to ourselves. That''s also the best pool weather

. We''ll be back sometime in October, weather dependant again -- we''re out of here if it snows early again this year. The real "season" in the desert kicks in mid-November. Since you are not golfers, mid-late October could be a great month to visit. They scalp all the golf courses early Oct (so lots of junk in the air), and then they are all closed while the grow the winter rye in. Golfers flee until November.

I''ll have to check out the Parker -- it looks great.

 

[Mara]

lop I had no idea re: scalping the courses, how funny!

we are already planning a return trip for next summer at the Parker...yum! if you don''t go to stay, check out their restaurants, their breakfast at Norma''s is just amazing...all sorts of unusual stuff!

 

[Mara]

New picture of the white rat...this is a preferred sleeping position!

 

[Mara]

Another fairly new shot...she looks like such an angel when she snuggles into her bed!

 

[mrssalvo]

oh Mara, I love the new pics of little Portia. she is just too cute.

 

[Kaleigh]

Oh those pics of Portia are too cute. What a princess she is. I still say she needs some PS bling, got to work on that!!!!!!

 

[belle]

aren''t sleeping babies the cutest?

 

[Mara]

I agree that P would look fab with some bling...she does have her swarovski crystal heart dog tag so far which is pretty sparkly..but maybe we can work something else into the mix next year...

...

 

[FireGoddess]

That pic of P snuggling in her little comfy dog bed with her froggy toy has got to be the CUTEST thing!!!!! She looks like I feel when I get snug as a bug in a rug in a down comforter!

 

[Kerbear560]

Portia is just adorable! I concur...she needs more bling! (What girl doesn''t?)