A May Gray Day

We Southern Californians have entered the most dreaded of all our weather "seasons"---May Gray (followed by June Gloom).

The usual incandescently sunny days have been replaced with week long stretches of blah, gray, chilly haze.

Yeah, yeah, it is absurd and annoying for Californians to complain about the weather; but go ahead and cue the violins, because I am experiencing a touch of Seasonal Affective Disorder. The blue skies have turned gray. My sweat pants have replaced pencil skirts. All I want to do is sit inside and drink cappuccino and watch Ina cook on the tele.

Thank goodness for my nutritionally-conscious hubby or I would be noshing on this for my "May Gray" dinner:and this, post sugar-coma:Image borrowed from TakeANap.

Lux Nova

In the 12th century, when Abbot Suger of Saint Denis decided to rebuild his Romanesque church near Paris, he wrote the new Gothic architectural vocabulary and incorporated one of the visual revelations of medieval art: stained glass windows.

Words to Live by

Image borrowed from Vi.Usualize.Us & WeHeartIt&GeekinthePink.

Les Rêveries de Paris

"We should read to give our souls a chance to luxuriate." ~Henry Miller



Today I'm experiencing a big-time case of geographic ennui (yes, I know, quelle horreur). As usual, my travel daydreams have taken me to Paris. My mind has wandered to one specific spot: Les Bouquinistes.

Les Bouquinistes are the 250 used book sellers that dot the bank of the Seine, near the Ile de la Cité. Each coveted green metal box (the wait list for a new spot is 8 years) is filled with ragged novels or ancient maps or yellowing magazines, as they have been since about 1500. As a flea market junkie (punk intended), the surprise of discovering an out of print edition of a favorite book or an old copy of Vogue proves well-worth my time.