"Pinkalicious" Raspberry Cupcakes

Yes, yes, I know some of you may say, why are you sharing a recipe that includes boxed cake mix?  Well, I say to you, naysayers, Giada does it!  And if it's good enough for Giada, it's just fine for me. 

Pink Week: Painter's Palette

Sir Joshua Reynolds, Lady in Pink, 1781

Being able to spend hours immersed in color is one of the most wonderful aspects of my career as an art historian.  Though I appreciate the compositional qualities of black and white photography and the technical aspects of a marble sculpture, I've always been most attracted to the array of shades in an oil on canvas. 

Pink Week: Beauty Queen

One of the first things women purchase when having a bad day is a new tube of lipstick.  There is something about the transformative power of a little makeup to make me feel like a new woman.  I tend to get stuck in a beauty routine, using the same products and colors day after day; but, occasionally, I browse through Sephora or a department store to spice up my makeup palette.

 

Pink makeup may conjure up too many thoughts of Elle Woods in Legally Blond or Shelby in Steel Magnolias, but a touch of rose or petal or even fuchsia on your face can make you look fresh and gorgeous. Now there are such an array of pink hues that anyone can find the perfect shade.  

Pink Week: Edible Delights

I have a theory that I may have voiced in this very spot before: pink food inevitably tastes delicious.  For me, pink is one of the most attractive culinary shades. It invites nibbling and suggests sweetness and tartness and general scrumptiousness. When I indulge in a perfect pink cupcake or frosted cookie, the carefree four-year-old in me is released for a few brief moments.

Pink Week: Uber-Feminine Fashion

“Pink is the color of romance and a friend tells me that the girl with the pink dress at the party is the one who is selected for each dance.” -Alfred Hottes, author and botanist

Sometimes a girl just needs a pink dress pick-me-up, courtesy of Audrey, Marilyn, Jackie, and Grace.  As these style icons show us, pink can be demure and refined or sassy and bold.  In my humble opinion, every woman can and should wear pink.  Pink in its myriad hues and values can compliment the palest porcelain or the darkest olive skin. 

Pink Week: Design Dreams

For our Wednesday touch of pink, let's move into one of the loveliest home's House Beautiful has ever featured, that of designer and artist Ruthie Sommers in L.A..

In this splendid and whimsical space, pink is used fearlessly, but with utmost elegance and refinement. I shall dream for a moment that I live here:

Pink Week: Flower Power

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."
-Audrey Hepburn   

As a build-up to the pinkest of all holidays (ahem, Valentine's Day), this week I'm celebrating some of my favorite pinkalicious goodies.  

For today, a few pink posies to peak your passion for Valentine's Day. 

The Color of the Year

In yesterday's Wall Street Journal, I was happy to discover that honeysuckle pink was named by Pantone as the color for 2011, replacing 2010's turquoise. 

This particular hue of pink is a soft, cotton-candy shade with undertones of orange.  It is a universally flattering color for fashion and a undeniably cheerful color for home design. 

I'm Dreaming of a....

pink Christmas, with every Christmas card I write.....

I haven't even had my first bite of Thanksgiving turkey yet, and I can't stop thinking about pulling out my favorite pink Christmas decor.

Here's some pink festiveness to get you in the mood for the official start of the Christmas season next week. 

Pinkalicious Sofas

Some of my friends' little girls love flipping through the pages of the illustrated childrens tale, Pinkalicious.  After indulging in far too many pink cupcakes, Pinkalicious turns pink from head to toe, suffering from a not-so-dreaded case of pinkitis.   

These days, I fear I have become stricken with the same affliction.  For as much as I try to cure myself of pinkitis, all I dream of are pink interiors and pink food and pink dresses---yet another thing I have in common with five year olds (my predilection for mac & cheese and Pixar movies among others) .