A Kiss to Build a Dream on

“Once I got in an argument with a girlfriend inside of a tent. That's a bad place for an argument, because I tried to walk out, and had to slam the flap.” -Mitch Hedberg, Comedian

No marriage is perfect.  June and Ward Cleaver do not exist beyond the tube.  Let's face it, in every relationship, there will be contention.  And, in most marriages, those fights tend to be circular and cyclical.  I don't know about you, but hubby and I have the same arguments every 3.5 weeks.  Most of those arguments are about the most mundane, daily tasks.  

Paris vs. New York

One of my favorite blogs is Paris vs New York: A Tally of Two Cities.  In a quick-witted, simple visual manner, the blog compares the two great cities. With their irreverence and chic style, these images delight lovers of either city.

Ladies who Brunch

Confession: I am jealous of Gwyneth Paltrow.  Big time.  Not because her hair always looks perfectly blond (the woman never has roots).  Not because her ensembles seem effortlessly chic (who cares if she has a stylist).  Not because she speaks perfect Spanish.  Not even because she gets to listen to Chris Martin sing whenever she wants....

I'm way jealous of GP because she got to cook brunch with Ina Garten! 

Words to Live by

Joyeux anniversaire à moi

Today is my 29th birthday.  The last one before the big 3-0. So, for a present to myself, today, I shall eat cupcakes (and take the day off from blogging something more substantial than this). 

Piece of Cake

Some evenings, when the tedium of the week has just begun, I crave the warmth and simplicity of a homemade baked good.  Baking allows me to focus on sifting flour or measuring vanilla or whisking eggs rather than to-do lists and work projects.  Baking stills my racing mind with tasty tangible results.

Monday Morning Pastry Pause

What is more simply decadent than a perfectly warm croissant?  Of course the pleasure of this pastry treat is exponentially enhanced by dining on a wobbly little Parisian table while sipping on café crème.   

Just because you're miles away from lovely Paris, you need not starve yourself of pleasure and indulgence. So, why don't you have a little bit of Paris on your plate this Monday morning? How about you forgo your usual, boring oatmeal in a bag or drive-through latte and steer your way over to the local pastry shop?  

Flowers for Friday

Not one of Flora's brilliant race
  A form more perfect can display;
    Art could not feign more simple grace
      Nor Nature take a line away.

      - James Montgomery, On Planting a Tulip

Nothing adds more elegance to a room than a large clear vase of tulips. Whether you fancy the pinkest pink or a creamy ivory, tulips gracefully bend and arc on their green stems.  They delight us with their simplicity and amaze us with their beauty.

This Friday, indulge in a bunch of fresh tulips and you'll be cheerful all weekend long. 

Wild for Animal Prints

I have a design confession: I LOVE leopard prints.  If I didn't control myself, my apartment could very easily look like a set on The Sopranos.  

But, with restraint, a touch of leopard in any room adds a sassy and unexpected twist on your usual style choices. 

Under the Big Top

For the past few days, I've been delighting in the pages of Water for Elephants.  This novel, carefully researched by author Sara Gruen, follows the "roustabouts" and "kinkers" of Benzini Brothers' Most Spectacular Show on Earth in the midst of the American Great Depression.  Like hearing a fairy tale for the first time, it colored my imagination and pulled at my heart.  Its characters, both animal and human, live on in my mind long after I finish reading.

Taste Testing: Steel Cut Oats

"A simple enough pleasure, surely, to have breakfast alone with one's husband, but how seldom married people in the midst of life achieve it."
Anne Spencer Morrow Lindbergh

In the nutrition-focused month of January, consumption of healthy breakfasts surely increases.  My favorite hearty morning food is steel cut oatmeal.  While the slow cook version of these delicious nutty oats require nearly an hour of preparation time, Trader Joe's has come to the rescue yet again and offered us their frozen "Steel Cut Oatmeal."  

Words to Live by

Soup du jour

"Soup is cuisine's kindest course.  It breathes reassurance; it steams consolation; after a weary day it promotes sociability, as the five o'clock cup of tea or the cocktail hour."
Louis P. De Gouy, 'The Soup Book' (1949)

 
In a meteorological turn of events, this winter in California has been particularly blustery. With the cool weather, I've been satisfying my soul with a nice warm bowl of homemade soup for dinner.

January Rejuvenation

Hello, dears!  After a little holiday hiatus, I'm back in blogland.

As much as I delighted in the festivities of December, I am so happy to return to a routine, clear out the holiday clutter, and start another year.  While I've never been one to make New Year's resolutions, I do always aspire to dive into another year with a focus on health and well-being.