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.

Silver Bells

Right now I am adrift in a sea of papers to grade and exams to score (thus the erratic postings).  So, as I wind down another semester, I am daydreaming of fancy, silvery, Christmasy things.  Just a few more days until I may rest and delight in the sparkle of the holidays.

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. 

Words to Live by

I wanted to share a few favorite words on this winter morning. 

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

By Robert Frost

 

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, 

is singing loud for all to hear." 

-Buddy the Elf

Everyone has their favorite holiday tunes. Maybe it's the classic crooner you listen to while decorating the tree or sitting by the fire, or maybe it's a catchy modern song that sticks in your head all December.

Sugar Plum Dreams

When I hear even just a few notes of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker score, I cannot help but twirl.  Though my ballet skills have surely tarnished since my youth, the music reawakens my urge to arabesque and pas de bourrée across my kitchen floor.  Tom Cruise may play air guitar in his undie to Bob Seger, but I put on my imaginary tutu and stage a mini production of my favorite holiday ballet. 

Cheers: Festive Beverages

If you're throwing a holiday fête or just having a few friends over for drinks, you need not invent a new candy cane martini to offer a festive beverage to your guests.

Holiday Joy

"Joy is not in things; it is in us."
--Benjamin Franklin

The Little Village

Each November, as soon as the Thanksgiving dishes are cleared away, I excitedly bring out my small collection of Christmas treasures. Even though I have amassed special ornaments from my travels over the years, what I really relish at Christmas is setting up my little village.  

As I neatly place the houses and sprinkle the glittered "snow" all around, immediately I feel like a girl again, as if I'm rearranging my doll house or pretending to play in a winter wonderland. 

Joyeux Noël

One splendid Thanksgiving, my mom and I ditched the stateside turkey, and flew to Paris for a week.  While breaking with November traditions was unexpectedly delightful, what truly enchanted us was seeing Paris reveal her holiday finery.  

As we bundled up and tried to emulate the French woman's perfectly imperfect scarf tie, we explored the city which was then covered under a glistening sheet of ice.  At times treacherous to travel, the ice looked simply magical as it dangled on Christmas lights and danced on roof lines.  Fountains that I had seen gurgling in springtimes past now looked sculptural, suspended in time. 

Though Cole Porter taught us to love "Paris in the Springtime," there is nothing more dreamy that Paris in the midst of a deep winter chill.  

The tourists who remain in the city are huddled in cafés sipping chocolat chaud rather than clamoring to get to the top of La Tour.  The mêtro stations smell of roasting chestnuts instead of tightly packed commuters. One feels inherently more French wearing layers of coats and scarves than milling about in shorts.  

Thanksgiving Nibbling

Planning the Thanksgiving menu is a highly personal affair.  Everyone coming to the table has their special requests and nostalgic dishes.  

Must-haves at my own Thanksgiving are my dad's cranberry-orange relish, corn pudding courtesy of my mom's dear friend, butternut squash gratin with pesto, and mushy-gushy unctuous green bean casserole. If I am especially brave, I will attempt homemade yeast rolls and try to replicate that glorious scent that always emanated from grandma's kitchen on Thanksgiving.

While there's usually no altering the long-standing Thanksgiving favorites, one culinary aspect of Turkey Day can inspire some creativity: appetizers.  

Thanksgiving Tables

As we inch ever closer toward Turkey Day, you are no doubt planning your menu and making the final grocery list.  While you clean your cranberries and polish your pumpkins, don't forget about your table.

Here are a few inspirational tables to get you in the mood for Thursday's feast.  From the simply modern to the classically autumnal, these tables would enchant any turkey-tipsy guest.