b Bookworms

March 4, 2013

As Spring travel time approaches, the hunt for a good beach book is also sneaking up on us. Fill your cinda b® Beach Bag with sun screen, towels, snacks, and hopefully a good book or two to occupy your sun-bathing, ocean-watching time.  Wherever your travels take you, you will need some reading material for your getaway, and also an eReader Cover II or an eTablet Sleeve! So, we’ve gathered a couple good reads that are close to our team’s hearts…

Cinda, Founder + Chief Creative Officer

Not surprisingly, Cinda is a big fan of business books.  Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point and Outliers, Dale Carnegie’s How To Win Friends and Influence People or Jim Collin’s Good to Great are some of her favorites.  When she wants an escape, she turns to chick lit. Something Borrowed, by Emily Griffin, is the perfect beach read.  Plus, Emily and Cinda are neighbors, so that makes her like Emily’s books even more!

Korrie, Creative + Marketing Director

One of the best suspense reads you can find is Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. This unputdownable book about a marriage gone terribly wrong is a masterpiece of page-flipping, nerve-chilling content that kept Korrie on the edge of her seat, confounded after every turn.

Alex, Creative + Marketing Assistant

Absorbed from page one, Alex said she couldn’t stand to put down The Glass Castle, a true story by Jeannette Walls. This creatively written memoir is a story of triumph against all odds.  In this story, unconditional love leads the way for this moving tale about Jeannette’s life as she grew up. But it also has an inspiring undertone of how Jeanette took her circumstances and turned them into determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

Sandy, Customer Care Representative

When asked about her favorite book, her reply was, “Does US Weekly count?”.

Maddy, Product Development Assistant

Maddy couldn’t help but admit her passion for a classic, romantic novel like, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are two of the most romantic and memorable characters in the whole world of English literature, and their story never fails to entertain.

Karen, Director of Customer Care

Erik Larson’s, Devil in the White City, balances beauty and terror during the 1893 World Fair in Chicago. Karen particularly enjoyed the appearance of the chicago architecture, but also the intertwining of a mystery plot encompassed around a serial killer during the time. This book reads like a fiction tale, but is based on true historical events following the lives of people who lived during the time. This story creates a place where incredible dreams come to life, alongside dark nightmares.

 

…and check out ebookweek.com for some other good, and free, reads for your ebook! Happy Reading!

 

 

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Time to Travel: Harbour Island

February 28, 2013

Are you craving a warm and tropical Spring Break?  If so, then I have a recommendation for you — Harbour Island in the Bahamans.  Mark and I first went to Harbour Island back in 2002 and have been dying to go back ever since.  The island is famous for its pink sand beaches (yes, they are actually pink) but it is the aquamarine transparent water, fabulous boutique hotels, tasty restaurants, unique shopping and lack of crowds that sealed the deal for us.  And if all that wasn’t enough, you use golf carts to get around the island which made it even more fun.  Oh, and there tend to be lots of famous and beautiful people there too if you are into that sort of thing.  We had dinner next to Elle Macpherson and yes, she is even more beautiful in person.  So if this sounds like your sort of spring break destination, here are my insights and recommendations:
How to Get There
This is the tricky part — but also the fun part.  First, you fly into a North Eleuthera Airport (ELH) on the island of Eleuthera.  Once you land, you hop in a cab that takes you to the boat dock.  At the boat dock you hop in a water taxi which zips you across the harbor to Harbour Island.  Once at the dock on Harbour Island, you hop in a golf cart to get to your hotel.  I know it sounds exhausting and time consuming, but really it’s neither.  We left Atlanta in the morning and were joyfully eating lobster salad and drinking rosé on the beach by lunch time.
Where to Stay
There are several stellar options here.  The most famous and fabulous hotel on the island is Pink Sands Resort.  When we went back in 2002 this is where I wanted to stay, but it wasn’t in the budget.  Instead, we stayed at the Coral Sands Resort which is literally right next door to Pink Sands.  It was the perfect choice!  The rooms were lovely (and significantly less expensive than Pink Sands), the beach was just as beautiful and we were able to walk over to Pink Sands to eat, drink and soak up the enchanted atmosphere there.  Two other good options are The Rock House (which wasn’t open when we were there but I hear is wonderful) and The Landing (which was designed by the amazingly talented India Hicks).  These two are both on the harbor side of the island in Dunmore Town but are only a short walk from the beaches.
Grab a snack al fresco as you stroll beachside cafes and fine eateries.
Where + What to Eat
I literally ate lobster every meal, but the island is known for its conch salad, so be certain to try that.  Make sure to eat a lunch at Sip Sip.  For dinner, I’d recommend eating at The Landing, Pink Sand and The Rock House.  The food at all these will be exceptional and you will also get to check out the hotels (one of my favorite things to do).
What to Do
RELAX!  A daily walk on the pink sand beach is a must.  If you want to set your inner Sports Illustrated swimsuit model self free, you can also ride ponies bare back on the beach.  (Yup, I did it and no I won’t share the pictures :) ).  If you are up to it, I highly recommend getting up for a sunrise at least once while you are there.  Be sure to make time to explore the historic Dunmore Town and its claim to fame array of white picket fenced pastel cottages.  While there, do a little shopping in the local shops and market.  Miss Mae’s and the Sugar Mill Trading Company are great spots to shop for unique island, bohemian resort wear.  If you are feeling adventurous, there is also some good snorkeling and scuba diving to be had.
Many activities abound to make your vacation memorable.
What to Pack
I tend to be a hopeless over-packer, but in this case, I recommend packing light (remember that you will have to haul your bags in and out of a plane, taxi, boat & golf cart to get there).  Essentials are a bikini, cover-up, big floppy hat, sandals, sundress and camera.  Everything should fit nicely in your cinda b Carry-On Rolly with a little room to spare for purchases made while there.  Use a Beach Bag as your carry-on and you are good to go for both traveling to and from and for lounging on the beach and poolside.
RGB VerdeBonita_BeachBag_Porthole_sm
Happy Travels!
Cinda

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Go Red!

February 1, 2013

go red for women

Today is national Go Red for Women Day to raise awareness of heart disease among women and the importance of heart health!

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Make a Plan for Romance this Valentine’s Day

January 30, 2013

romantic getaway

It’s just about two weeks till Valentine’s Day, and in the depths of Winter, what better time to plan a romantic long weekend away with your sweetie?  V-day falls on a Thursday this year, making for a fabulous four day weekend.  Depending on where you live, destinations like Palm Beach, Beverly Hills, La Jolla, and Phoenix are just a quick flight away.

Need to refresh your travel bags?  Consider our Beach Bag in Verde Bonita (above) – it’s roomy and can be packed with everything for an overnight stay as well as an afternoon at the beach, $139 comes in 11 colorways.

Below ~ our newly redesigned Overnighter II, Weekender II and Vacationer II bags are sturdy and thanks to their wide openings are easy to pack and get into.  Each comes in an array of colors.

travel bags

beauty bags

Above ~ our Beauty Bags in Scala Ivory feature soft pink cast against Winter white – Train Case, Vertical Cosmetic Bag, X-tra Large Cosmetic Bag, and Medium Cosmetic Bag all have Scala Ivory luggage that matches.

 

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It’s a Girl! Calypso Belle’s Creative Baby Announcements

January 22, 2013

baby birth announcements

We know you loved seeing pics of our cute Calypso Belle, who was born on May 22, 2012 – I thought it would be fun to share our birth announcements.

I ordered ours from Smock http://smockpaper.com.  They are an amazing letterpress print shop located in upstate New York.  Not only do I love that they are Made in America, but I also love that they print on pesticide-free bamboo paper that is sustainable.  The birth announcement mirrors the approach I took for our nursery — American made & green.

Mark, my husband, and I wanted something sweet, arty & glamorous — and unlike any other birth announcement.  We chose one of Smock’s wedding invitations and customized it by having it printed it with gold (for the glamour) and a soft pink (for our baby girl).  Then we printed a photo we took of her when she was nine days old, used a punch to cut the photos out in circles, glued them on to the announcement with a glue stick and addressed each envelope by hand with a gold pen.  I especially love that we designed the envelope as well.  I love it when envelopes give a hint as to what is to come inside.

birth announcements

I love how Smock sends their product.  This is how they package everything — in a box with Baby B’s name on the top and then with this sweet note on top.  The announcements and envelopes were carefully packaged inside the squiggly stuff.

Here is the finished product ready to be addressed and stamped (with the perfect, carefully selected stamp of course).

cinda birth announcements

Another shot of the announcements and the cute box they came in.

birth announcements

Cheers! – Cinda Boomershine

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Spring Trend ~ Black and White

January 15, 2013

black and white travel bags

We’re loving the Spring trend of bold geometric patterns cast in black and white.   Our colorway Jet Set, which was inspired by a particularly interesting Japanese wood cut, is just the thing to get in on the trend.  Pair it with black and white, or contrast it with saturated brights like pink, red, or yellow.

black and white accessories

Some of our favorite smaller accessories in Jet Set include our Happy Bag; eTablet Sleeve; and our new Pocket Wallet!

black_white_accessories

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