Our Best Advice

Valentines Day Classic Appreciation

Sunday, February 10th, 2013 | Our Best Advice | Comments Off

Our Best Advice shares great TIPS as suggestions on various topics. With decades of our renowned expertise ISA makes job referrals for those who have top excellent checkable references and expert experience in the domestic help field, with clients offering a variety of job opportunities working in household help luxury estates jobs.

TIP: romantic chocolate is still the goddess of sweet tributes, and classic for Valentines Day. As a holiday preceded by the Grammy Awards some of our VIP clients attend, we know that celebration and endorsement  gift giving is a standard part of both, and often delivered as specialty treats. Do check ingredients for toxic additives as studies continue to emerge warning of dangers in our food and drinks. Consider too that what we put on our skin (including hair products) is transdermal and absorbed into our blood stream (and groundwater and oceans..). For a Valentines Day Chocolate Appreciation theme try adding a romantic body butter like Chocomania to your range of gifts (I’ve not checked ingredients and we don’t get paid for endorsements, but Bodyshop was at the very beginning of spearheading new values in retail trends), or make your own from scratch, including soaps and other luscious things. Your homemade signature is always a classic touch.

For those who love food luxury caviar is another celebration classic. Be creative using it because it has unending pairing possibilities. An Omega3 rich source, it can be served with vanilla bean chocolate chip ice-cream, and a “red” salad. Salty and Sweet with Fat (for fuel) are traditional food combos, ideal for nutrition, protein, and energy delight with your romance. Contrary to myth that it’s bad for you we do need salt, which also  brightens sweet flavors.

At Petrossian WeHo restaurant, Chef Giselle Wellman is fired up cooking with (and without) caviar. They’re always friendly and ready to help with a variety of gifts and price range to choose from. An elegant gift with two crystal vodka flutes, blue-inlay mother-of-pearl spoons, plus the caviar of your choice, comes all wrapped in their signature blue box. Add your endearments with an IOU massage card. I usually don’t make intimate recommendations but people need to slow down and connect (nobody ever laid on their death bed wishing they’d worked more). As a starter, watermelon squares with drizzled balsamic is perfect anytime for any event. If you don’t know caviar, try their terrific and well priced introductory classes with your lover (or give it as a gift), and you’ll soon be wild about it too.

Always classic, write a love song delivered in neo-vintage glam. Justin Timberlake is pairing with Tom Ford to create his special signature clothing line because there is always time for a Suit & Tie. He’s back with wonderful new retro glam that stands out from the rest, as we watched a sizzling-smooth Justin and JZ duo performe to a wildly cheering crowd (and a sold out performance in L.A. for Justin right after the awards). Smart of them to remind everyone how traditional elegant glamour brings back hot romance to the mix. At ISA we’ve had many truly glamorous clients right from the beginning over the years of Hollywood’s Golden Age – and we know it’s never gone out of style.

Everyone loves a great love fantasy as only David Bowie delivers with his elegant wife Iman. Lovers married 20+ years in an industry tuff for relationships, it was St. Laurent who famously declared: ‘my perfect woman is Iman’ (who’s beyond glam class). I just played Bowie’s vintage Let me Sleep Beside You to inspire my mood (my husband has a passion writing poetry, and he gifts me with his love poems I feel blessed to receive). Bowie is a crooner poet, so here are  some of the remixed lyrics to launch your romantic Valentine mood. Remember these are copyrighted, so give credit to the artists if you decide to share them.

… ‘Baby, baby, brush the dust of youth from your shoulder… Let your hair hang down, wear the dress your mother wore .. Let me sleep beside you.. Lock away your childhood and throw away the key.. We shall drink the oldest wine and velvet skies will linger.. Child, you’re a woman now, your heart and soul are free .. I will hold a lighted lamp and we shall walk together… I will give you dreams and I’ll tell you things you’ll like to hear.. Let your hair hang down, wear the dress your mother wore..  let me sleep beside you .. let me sleep beside you.. - Bowie is Bowie Art – can’t wait for his new album.

For those who don’t have a Valentine here’s a universal TIP, be your own. An absolute must listening is the track from legendary Nina Simone, the ultimate in bringing her kaleidoscopic voice telling us ‘You Know How I Feel’ (also lyrics remixed here) Set your passionate heart to an open Valentine call.

.. Birds flying high you know how I feel .. Sun in the sky you know how I feel .. Breeze driftin’ on by you know how I feel .. It’s a new dawn.. It’s a new day .. It’s a new life .. For me .. And I’m feeling good … Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don’t you know .. Butterflies all havin’ fun you know what I mean .. Stars when you shine you know how I feel .. . Scent of the pine you know how I feel … Oh freedom is mine .. And I know how I feel …

It does not get any better or clearer than Simone! Add these two tracks to your favorites, and for your lover that’s sure to inspire. If you’re a Star (as we all are) and as we saw at the Grammys tonight, even the most celebrated shining ones stood up, and danced and sang with their heart’s out in childlike admiration and appreciation of other people’s talents  (let it all go in Joy!)

So back to chocolate (always room for chocolate in afterglow) if you crave even more TIPS add an original organic tea-chocolate experience from The TeaRoom. According to their choco-alchemists it’s a premium drink unlike any beverage or other chocolate drink on the market. It can be used in a variety of ways for a hot or cold experience, including added to smoothies, or whatever else your chocolate loving heart imagines. There’s a menu of suggestions with every tin (check out their other award winning gift selections).

Giving thanks for our food is a deeply meaningful ritual. The drawing by Vivienne Flesher captured it perfectly for Kimberly Nichols amusing story in The LA Times: ‘they met through an online dating service, but the sparks didn’t fly until their passion for food of all varieties became a shared pastime.’ Our local paper has some great TIPS so check them out weekly. As to exploring foods and loving a well mannered experience, today fast foods (fast everything) and ‘anything goes’ attitude, is the same as saying “chaos rules”. You will get exactly that. Don’t fall for it, only  fools believe our precious lives are disposable. Savor yours, and share the wonderment.

And if you still want more (there’s always room for more love), you can add a commissioned art work for your lover that expresses how fast you want to fly into their arms. See Renaud Marion’s new series “Air Drive”, which commemorates our love with fantasy hover cars. Great Art is always a meaningful gift. This ‘flying vintage’ (any excuse to get into Space I say), harkens back to my love for SciFi. The flying car was a symbol of our eternal optimism that new adventures of discovery await at every turn. Coming soon, including building your own in custom 3D printing. We’re a green-jet-fusion red heartbeat away from flying cars carrying your Valentine Gifts to your love.

Call us to help you find a Chef dedicated to creating your most memorably custom Valentines Day Meal (or any event), an intimate dinner perfectly prepared especially for you. We have “best of the best” private Chefs ready to cook a delicious dining experience full of tempting tastes and exciting flavors. Beginning with whatever you fancy with your creative imagination, that ends with whatever satisfies your personal sweet tooth. Life is an aphrodisiac, so get high naturally on Love!

And we also want you to know, that we appreciate you. Have a great Valentines Day!

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Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 | Our Best Advice | Comments Off

We saw a spectacular public luxury event as millions watched with mixed feelings during times of escalating inequality. The ‘spare no expense’ celebration of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee. The Queen is now only three years shy as the longest reigning Monarch after Queen Victoria. While she lives in England, and is primarily associated with Great Britain and some of  The Commonwealth, she holds the title of Queen separately and equally in all sixteen countries.  This Monarch agrees with breaking tradition, or we would not be seeing the sweeping changes already being implemented.

ISA staffing predicts Queen Elizabeth will continue with robust health for years to come and break more records, but also understood is that the monarchy must transform. History is a profound dimensional field not facts and figures. Freedom isn’t controlled by economics. There are those enslaved by their wealth just as equally mad as those who are poor. (and efficiency is not the driving force of innovation, or the creative imagination, despite MBA degrees touting that policy). Apprenticeship is still irreplaceably important to refine our skills in any sector of our society, and then the question comes who were you guided by.

ISA staffing assists our clients with quickly changing directions and setting their own trends. Our clients are VIP high profile individuals including Royal Families living here and abroad. Because of our renowned International domestic help expertise and clients who foster and seek to provide the ultimate innovation in their respective fields, we’ve seen changes come fast and escalating. We’ve participated and given advice for much of the cutting edge as it was rolling out.

Luxury living with privileges that come from being wealthy is hotly debated by those who have and those who have not, and those who aspire to it or have it thrust upon them. In a world where every dollar is being sucked up for ‘more consumerism’ we’re seeing dreams crushed and dreams come true equally made tragic. We have seen ‘rich and powerful today, gone tomorrow’ from the beginning of our establishment.

Luxury living, quality lifestyles, Chefs or Cooks, formal and informal households, American and British and International domestic help, Personal Assistants and Estate Managers, weddings and party planning, Butlers and Chauffeurs, several households and luxury estates, Celebrities and VIP entertainment, security and bodyguards, and so very much more that involves traditional, modern, and cutting edge expertise, far beyond a sense of style it also requires some Best Advice! – see more of our services here.

Innovative Cuisine is a high Art, and fine dining for peak celebration occasions requires pulling out all the stops. To celebrate the glamorous occasion of a Diamond Jubilee (a Royal reign from 1952- 2012) the Royal collection commissioned a range of fine bone china. Opposing Philosophies question whether extravagant spending is wise during tuff economic times. A good question to ask is would the world be minus a value, if these exquisite arts and crafts people become extinct. It undeniably would so let’s stop arguing about spending as if luxury has no purpose. Humans on Earth have built and embellished the most exquisite architecture and artifacts possible to imagine. Other than the gypsy tradition most humans would trade with wealth rather than remain being poor. Dreams of success and great wealth continue to set standards of refinement to inspire quality living. And the philanthropic spirit that is American is uniquely its own.

While a quality lifestyle is pursued by Americans to open opportunities this country continues to provide, it requires refined discernment and appreciation how we got here. Without a deeper meaning we become a vacuous madhouse that turns into imploding compulsive consumerism. We risk a total collapse of our humanity driven by greed. The ‘best and brightest’ younger gens do not come from traditional values. There is also no “going back” to anything of the 20th, and despite how nostalgic we may be for old school elegance and well ordered structure, our world is dissolving. As the served axiom states: without a new vision, the people perish.

Great style helps immeasurably (we all well know), and I write about and more with TIPS giving Our Best Advice. For the Royals to remain popular requires a critical PR endeavor that demands the height of expertise, and sensitivity to layers of challenging complications.

The Royal Family has undertaken to break with tradition. As the Duke of Wales ages his style has improved, and so did his popularity. He was also one of the earliest proponents of organically grown food and organic gardening, now pursued by millions worldwide.

This family endured tragedy the entire world shared. A new fresh style was brought in by the Duchess of Cambridge, and we see that Kate’s popularity soared, as did Prince William’s for marrying her. They waited until each was more mature while they are also bucking tradition to set their own course. William was and remains greatly inspired by his mother. It was a visionary Diana who set new trends, who paved a new way in England, just as a young Jackie Kennedy did in her time despite both coming from privileged backgrounds, and not remotely close to what most women experience in their lifetime. The mystery surrounding these families remains and continues to intrigue with more questions of how we seek to govern ourselves than any other aion of our past.

We are not going to have a traditional structure in the 21st century. A powerful and wise feminine stream leadership is here in an entirely new mode. To face adversity from abroad such as Queen Boudica of Scotland encountered, great courage was imperative. She was a woman of formidable talents who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire and succeeded, which no other monarch could do. In fact, the Romans built a wall to contain her in Scotland! We must sustain our ability to have a viable future, which remains within our personal responsibility to mature and create. This is a duty of our humanity, not a privilege. How will you be in the future when robots have taken over most human tasks, not to mention the challenges we currently face? Billions of people must ‘retool’ to have a new purpose for their existence.

Let us also not forget that Queen Elizabeth dutifully takes on 400 events annually, without a break, no small feet of discipline for anyone in their zenith years. She provides a stream of leadership that isn’t transient (as we see with political office conditions), but what does it mean in a Space Age when we are already speaking of multidimensional hyperspace.

The Queen’s great affection for her grandchildren is well known, and she openly enjoys their opinion. At 86, when others are already well set in their ways, she agreed to experiment with her own style. It resulted in a breakthrough Royal Rock & Roll party, with Elton John leading celebs honoring the monarch from both sides of the Atlantic. Air out those dusty traditions, retire them once and for all. Liberation from ‘tradition’ is at hand, and we’re assured that even the Queen is standing with aching feet from working too long and hard, yet she does it with royal grace trained to uphold in face of everything no matter how stressful.

Nothing is done without the Queens approval first, including how the Royal Party will be dressed for coordinated color schemes. Clearly she thought red was clever for Kate. What should be retired permanently is mean spirited negative press. British media tends to be regressive in their opinions, while the Americans embrace ‘everything and anything’. Media doesn’t set trends, visionary people do, and those who generate their own creative passion don’t follow trends (they live to please themselves as they prefer). The message was clear. Stop the nonsense.

Ask the younger gens what they thought of the Queen’s Jubilee  (it helps considerably to have a 3-day awesome Royal Party few could top). The consensus following change in England declared Kate’s Royal Party outfits beautiful. Kate and the Queen rocked it out of the Jubilee park. I’m partial to blush lavender gloves with the blush mint green hat (and that sublime white one the Queen wore, ok, tuff to decide..), but it was her amazing Royal elegance and exemplary unsurpassed Royal experience that was brilliantly palpable. This is a monarch who gives lessons to everyone in how to outwit newcomers and hold her reign with seamless adaptation.

We have yet to see how the younger leadership social set does. As things pivot to a multidimensional world it would do them all immeasurable good to learn of our chivalric noble stream. Imagine a world without cultural refinement that succumbs to mediocrity and ‘rule by the mobocracy’ (or unknown entities yet to be understood), and you get the picture. The failure of our leadership (worldwide), and the media’s inability to truthfully acknowledge how bad things are, is symptomatic of denial and apathy. However, the human spirit is unwaveringly Royal and we are that beyond blood lines. While there are wonderful new innovative startup companies popping up we also need more wisdom to come with them. Politics is not the answer to our ills, we must all transform. Strategically, I’d say Queen Elizabeth still did an end-run around them all, but more is yet to come. Contact us at ISA.

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