It’s been a while since i’ve done an Operation Window Seat post, timing hasn’t been quite right on a lot of my recent flights… but yesterday when i woke up on my LHR to LAX flight, it was just gorgeously snowing somewhere over central california… take a peek on the next page! (And on a side note, the rear facing biz class seats are kind of strange, no?)

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Crumpled City Maps! While these appeared on NOTCOT.org about a year ago, they weren’t available yet. Well, i just ran into them at Selfridges in London, and they are so fun! (If only i wasn’t at the END Of my trip, it would have been great to have these balled up in my purse for Paris, Berlin, Milan, and London the last month!) Truth is, maps always get so wrinkled and abused in my purse and pockets when traveling, i usually grab a city center map from the concierge, and toss it by the end of the trip… these are printed on tyvek, so they should be able to withstand quite a bit of abuse, and hopefully still be readable. They also come with a cute pouch ~ and in fun simple flash card like packaging… and now you can even select your own set of 5 for a Crumpled City Collection Box! Love this 5 pack as an idea for someone embarking on a whirlwind trip… take a peek at more details and the available cities on the next page!

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Another week of getaway inspiration from NotVentures has taken us to Everest, the Argentinian Sierras and Australia’s Great Ocean Road. Where will you explore next? To find out more about each of these destinations, click on the individual images.

We’ve had a beautiful week at NotVentures. You need look no further for your next getaway whether you’d like to spend your next break up a tree, enjoying April festivities in Barbados, getting your adrenalin rush in Vietnam or emigrating to a new country. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

This series/post is brought to you by Gillette. Learn more about Gillette and its products at Gillette.com. As usual, thoughts and ideas are all NOTCOT, Gillette is sponsoring us to do our thing!

Let’s face it, there are a lot of girly looking ipad cases out there. And if they double as a bag they often get a bit too man-purse like. And it’s really not a good look - regardless of gender! So, in light of the new iPad 2 (see our unbox here), we decided to take a peek at what new options are out there (and which old ones are iPad 2 updated)… From machined wood and thick hand-stitched constructed leather to stamped and CNC metal to ballistic nylon and even water repellent twill and tough canvas, there are so many well crafted gadget protector options these days. And most importantly, It should age well, do its job and make you look good! Browse over a dozen options on the next page!

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A 10 hour nap, a quick stop in frankfurt, and suddenly here i am in gloomy Berlin. More specifically, currently curled up at Soho House Berlin ~ the german outpost of the international member’s clubs and boutique hotel. For fun history - “Originally opened in 1928 as a department store, the property was seized by the wartime government before being occupied by the post-war, Communist regime until 1956. It was then used to house the Communist Party archives and the Central Committee’s Historical Institution. After German reunification the building was legally returned to the descendents of its original owners, but has remained derelict until now.” The boutique hotel aspect has 40 rooms, and while you still can’t take pictures anywhere (restaurants, bars, rooftop pools, gym, spa, art in the lobby, etc), here’s a peek into my room… it’s all the lovely little vintage product details that are adorable… also adore all the Cowshed goodness… and there’s a “Time To Tease” minibar of toys under lock and key (which include a dumbell-esque lolly-for-two)… and even tampons/condoms in cute little linen bags in the bathroom… check out all the fun details on the next page!

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It’s been an incredible week of wanderlust worthy posts at NotVentures. Want to find out more about St Barths, chateaus, or how you can have dinner in the sky? To find out about each destination, click on its individual link.

Hello, jetlag! Europe back to LA is always a rough one… this one had me up around 4am unable to sleep… so while cooking breakfast, reading magazines, catching up on the internet, and looking for other jetlagged/insomniacs on twitter… the idea of Sun Stalking came up to give purpose to this eerie morning hour… found a few others who were up on this time zone in the dark too, and took some pics of the sunrise!!! Take a peek at my sunrise (many from the view of my skateboard swing)… and also some fun silverlake shots from @meganwest, and i’ll add more if others come in too! See what we’ve got so far on the next page…

Oooh ~ just added, some amazing pics from @Tornadoliese at the Colorado Street Bridge…

p.s. if you’re into the idea ~ maybe we should start regular sunrise/sunset rituals! It’s just a nice way to force yourself to notice the passing of time, and the beauty of each revolution of the earth…

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Ok, first you got a kaleidoscopic tour of the bathroom at my room here in Le Royal Monceau, Paris. Well, are you ready to see room #620 that goes with it? From the faces in the sheets… to the mind boggling parisian map on the desk… to the silver on the outside, pink on the inside “good” vs “bad” mirrored minibar… to the guitar in the corner… tv hidden behind the one way mirror… and the Royal Monceau Pizza from room service with Iberico, mmmm… art on all the walls… there is so much care taken in each and every detail of the room… take a peek at the pics on the next page to soak it all in!

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For my final night in Paris, popped into the newly redone Le Royal Monceau… and it is an understatement when they say this luxurious hotel designed by Starck is meant to embrace and inspire artists… my head couldn’t stop spinning from the moment i checked in with all of the tiny visual details and surprises tucked EVERYWHERE! (Yet somehow it still pulls of a beyond 5 star luxury lusciousness…) So as i curl up jetlagged from a non stop week into the ridiculously comfortable bed (details to come on that) ~ and while you could probably sit in me in a corner of the hotel with my camera and multiple inspired posts would appear… let’s start with the bathroom. A wonderland of mirrors… fun amenities… an inviting tub…. AND there are vintage swimmers in black and white hidden behind the mirror! As well as a silver lobster over the loo… Don’t believe me? Check it out on the next page!

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It’s Friday! Where will you be getting away to? Running through Bordeaux? Enjoying the local delicacies in Hong Kong Or walking through a New Zealand glacier? This week has been full of inspiration from NotVentures and here are just a few posts to arouse your wanderlust. To find out more about each destination, click on its individual image.

This weekend ~ to kick off spring and celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Boutique champagne house, Perrier-Jouët, they brought 200 people from around the globe to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts… what a beautiful space! Skip the red carpet for a Perrier-Jouët grassy green path… and upon entering, you encounter a mysterious box popped up in the center of the cavernous space covered in projections… and surrounded by flowing bubbly and black and white old hollywood glam Harcourt Studio photos specially commissioned for the gala showing important people and someone they are passing their legacy to, and the Daniel Arsham limited edition piece to go with this concept. The surroundings were surreal to say the least, you must see a video on the next page of the projections from within, as well as all the lovely details!

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A fun mix of materials and geometric, multifaceted textures… the ESPA Spa: Istanbul EDITION Hotel. Designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates, it is “inspired largely by Turkish traditions, with design elements that echo the Hammam customs and atmospheric elements of Istanbul” to create a contemporary, luxurious space filled with embossed bronze floors, chocolate brown marble, cast bronze sinks, walls of crystals, horsehair walls, mirrored glass tiles, and more. Almost an intentional aversion to straight lines, paths and corridors lead you through kinks everywhere, creating a mysterious effect as you explore the unknown relaxation space… Take a peek at some of the design sketches before, and a peek at the newly realized Espa on the next page!

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This post is part of a NOTCOT series on inspiring, independent design thinking, brought to you by Saab. At Saab, we believe in independent thinking. It’s in everything we do. Learn more here.

From surreal bent wood cocoons, to augmented reality projections on the screens outside the pod windows showing you real time views of the Eiffel Tower… even though you are UNDERGROUND… to a stunning living wall… the Six Senses Spa Paris is transformative on so many levels. Oh! And it even has its own secret elevator from the Westin, Place Vendome, for tose who wish to drop down to their subterranean oasis without stepping foot outside. The interior is designed by French architect Pierre David, integrating the elements of light, wood, stone and earth. The vertical garden that greets you as you enter from street level is created by landscape artist Patrick Blanc. The combination of greenery, gorgeous eco-centric design, and technology had me visually inspired as it was… combine one of the most diving massages, and it was hard to leave the cocooned underground haven… if only there were bird’s eye view looks at the Eiffel Tower projected BELOW your head when face down looking through the massage table hole… i kept being tempted to peek to stare at the projected views outside my pod window! See pictures of this Six Senses oasis on the next page!

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Get your weekly travel inspiration from NotVentures. To find out more about each destination, click on its individual image.