FitSugar

Strike a Yoga Pose: Extended Tabletop

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:30:00 PDT

If you're looking for a pose that will strengthen your shoulders and core, and increase flexibility in your spine then give Extended Tabletop a try. I like to move into this pose from a variation of Three-Legged Dog with your knee bent (see the photo after the break). This is a pose I've only seen in Vinyasa Yoga classes, so it's a newer pose that will help prepare you for doing Wheel.

Sanskrit Name: None Found
English Translation: Extended Tabletop

To find out how to get into this pose

Begin in Down Dog. Lift your right leg straight up, coming into Three-Legged Dog. Try to keep both shoulders parallel with the ground. Then bend your right knee, lifting it as high as you can. Raise your head up and look over your left shoulder. Work on lowering your toes and lifting your head so someday they can touch. Stay like this for five breaths.
Now lower your right foot all the way to the ground below your foot, and simultaneously lift your right arm off the mat. Once your right foot touches the ground, adjust your toes so they're both pointing away from you. Either point your right arm straight up or extend it over your right ear, bringing your gaze to follow.
Remain here for another five deep breaths, actively lifting your hips as high as you can, engaging your abs, and trying not to clench your butt. When you're ready to come out of it, lift your right leg off the ground, and rotate your torso so you plant your right palm and come back into Down Dog. Repeat this sequence with the left leg.

Celebrate the Spring Leap Forward With a Wall Clock

Elka Karl — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:45:24 PDT

Did anyone else have a hard time making it to work on time this morning? That time change on Sunday has thrown me for a loop, as have the darker mornings. To combat the effect of the leap forward, I recommend an earlier bedtime and an effective alarm clock. Since so many of us are simply using our smartphones for an alarm clock these days, I can't recommend adding another one to your home. Instead, add a wall clock to your home. Wall clocks are practical, free up valuable tabletop or cabinet space, and can also fit into a gallery wall arrangement thanks to their pleasing design. I've rounded up a mix of contemporary and vintage clocks to satisfy your need to handsomely keep track of time.

My current favorite is the cluster of Vintage Russian Wall Clocks ($650 for three, middle row, center). I love the idea of adding them to a kitchen wall and surrounding them with a few more international clock models (such as this colorful German one for a clock-themed wall art arrangement).

For a very affordable and handsome clock, the Opal Wall Clock ($50) in natural wood will blend in nicely in a variety of different decorating arrangements.

The Navy Wall Clock ($950, top row, middle) is from 1940 and would fit in perfectly in a modern bachelor pad. Can't you imagine how perfect it would look hung on a brick wall in a loft apartment? Its extended profile will make it a showstopper piece, and the clock's military background will add a masculine element to any home.

Do you have your eye on another clock? Just click on it to start shopping.

Learning More About Tangerine Tango, Pantone's Color of the Year: An Interview With Leatrice Eiseman

CasaSugar — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:01:15 PST

Each year Pantone, the global authority on color, reveals its choice for the color of the year, signaling the color direction for interior design, fashion, cosmetics, and graphic design. This year, the color is Tangerine Tango, a vibrant shade that will breathe new life into 2012's color palettes. I recently chatted with Pantone's resident color guru, Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, about what the color means for the new year. Let's learn more about Tangerine Tango!

CasaSugar: Were there any major influences that contributed to Pantone's decision on Tangerine Tango for 2012?
Leatrice Eiseman: The Color of the Year selection process is very thoughtful and time consuming. To arrive at the selection each year, Pantone quite literally combs the world looking for color influences. This can include the entertainment industry and films that are in production, traveling art collections, hot new artists, popular travel destinations, and other socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from technology, availability of new textures and effects that impact color, and even upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention.

CS: What colors do you suggest pairing Tangerine Tango with?
LE: It goes well with many colors that make for unexpected combinations. For example, pair it with an elegant wine color, such as Syrah or a Rhubarb Red. It's great with a slightly greenish blue, like Vallarta, or a hot pink called Cabaret for a retro look. Of course, it's always great with warm taupey tans like Tiger's Eye, and a special favorite of mine is a deep yellow green called Winter Moss. And there is the summertime staple of White Alyssum and Tangerine Tango.

Keep reading for more tips on decorating with Tangerine Tango and more gorgeous photos!

Warm Up With 3 Dynamic Moves Before Your Next Run

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:20:24 PDT

Walking briskly for five minutes is a great way to warm up before running, but it's not exactly the most exciting activity. Here are three fun and challenging moves you can do inside, which is nice if it's chilly, before heading out for a jog.

Running Plank
Here's a move that will get your blood pumping and warm up your upper body as well as your hips, lower back, legs, and core.

Begin in a plank position (top of a push-up), with your shoulders over your wrists and your body in one straight line. Engage your abs and step your feet together. Bend your right knee and draw it into your chest.
Then simultaneously and quickly step your right foot back and bend your left knee into your chest. Keep alternating so that you're essentially running in place. Move as fast as you want, making sure to keep your abs pulled in.
Do this for one minute, take a break, and repeat.

Learn the the other great moves after the break.

SFERRA Celebrates 120 Years! An Interview With CEO Paul Hooker

Julia Millay Walsh — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 04:00:00 PST

Last week, I attended a fantastic cocktail party at the home and office of San Francisco-based designer Ken Fulk (right), hosted by Ronda Carman of All the Best, to celebrate SFERRA's 120th anniversary. The luxury linen brand was founded in 1891 by Gennaro Sferra when he first opened his linens factory in Venice, Italy. In 1977, it was purchased by CEO Paul Hooker (left), then a young 20-something, and has grown to include an extensive collection of fine linens for the bedroom, bathroom, and tabletop and become one of the most respected names in the arena of luxury textiles.

When Gennaro launched the company, his focus was intricate handmade laces and embroideries. As you can imagine, a lot has changed since then, so I was eager to learn more about the progression of the brand and where it's headed next. Luckily, Hooker gladly obliged to do a little interview with me. Read our conversation below!

CasaSugar: You bought SFERRA in the '70s, and it's since become one of the finest linen brands. How has the market for luxury bedding changed since then?

Paul Hooker: When I bought the business in 1977, there was no such thing really as "luxury bedding." SFERRA offered no bedding at all in our collection. We made tablecloths and napkins, mostly handmade lace from Italy. The changes in both have been dramatic. Today, it’s all about luxury bedding, and fewer and fewer people over the years have been having traditional dinners with lace tablecloths, so the change has been dynamic indeed.

CS: What growing trends do you see in the world of luxury linens?

PH: The buying trend today among the affluent consumer is one word: VALUE. She is not overly impressed with labels, to the contrary, she wants to know why she is being asked to pay a premium price for what is being touted to her as "luxury." What makes it so special? What is it made of? Will it last? She will pay for quality, no doubt, and she still aspires to owning luxury products, but today, she needs to be shown the reason for "paying up" for luxury. The importer and the retailer who doesn’t have those answers may not be around long enough to find them.

CS: What are your most successful products?

PH: Our customer loves the color and design, but she generally selects the "basics." She knows that she is spending one third of her entire life in bed, and combining the wonderful experience of a great mattress and luxurious sheets makes it all so wonderful. She wants to be pampered in bed, feeling the very finest cotton in the world next to her, to give her the ultimate sleeping experience. So, when it comes right down to it . . . "Would you like Percale or Sateen, white or ivory?” It’s quite simple what she wants, so we strive to give her several choices of the finest "basics" in the world.

Click to read the rest of our interview!