My Rainy Day Events

It's quite a depressing day with the rain, clouds and overall gloom, so I am going to share with you the one thing that is guaranteed to make me instantly happy and warm with comfort and it just might work for you too.

A visit to the bookstore.

Bookstore inside a former Dominican Church in Maastricht, Netherlands

I love bookstores. They are always so cozy, smell like fresh coffee (one of the best smells ever) and are filled with books (hello obvious, right?). The second I walk in I am immediately revived and want to read something life-altering. This visit was a bit lighter, or at least life-altering in an entirely different way, as I was searching for travel books on Hawaii and San Fransisco and a new cookbook.

The results? lonely planet's "Honolulu, Waikiki & O'ahu," Frommer's "San Fransisco day by day," and last but certainly not least Moosewood Restaurant's "Simple Suppers."

I've been a bit overwhelmed and stressed, so I felt it would be a good exercise for me to remind myself that my situation won't last forever; new travels are on the horizon. Hawaii is almost literally on the horizon as I am leaving on Thursday for a two-week vacation at my sister's house in O'ahu. Aaaaaaa-Loooooo-Haaaaaaaaaaa! :)

Anywho, hoping you found a fun, uplifting way to brighten your rainy day!

Streaks of Happiness

Doing my best to spread some holiday cheer, enjoy!

Recap

Well, I am back to the routine of daily life, including the realization that it is definitely winter with snow flurries in the forecast at least four days out of the week. Disney World was fun, but I think spending time with my family far outweighed any meals, rides, shows or warm(er) weather experienced.

I hadn’t seen my Dad and stepfamily in about a year or so, and it was glorious to return to our usual silly conversations, centering around a multitude of accents, voices and characters. (I have a very healthy imagination, which I also contribute to my frequent conversations with myself.) Much of our time was spent catching up on everyone’s lives, describing the latest happenings among the surroundings of Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. I’d venture to say that within the three days we spent at the parks we probably walked (speedily, I might add) a total of 20 miles. It was grand.

I will admit that the lack of a big Thanksgiving meal was a first for me and I would dare say it should not happen again. I love cooking and baking, and while I did get to partake in a Thanksgiving meal in early November with my Mom, sister and Aunt, it didn’t help fill the void in my stomach on November 26. There’s just something wonderful about being home with family and all the delicious smells that fill the house on that day. It’s memories in the making people!

I very much look forward to hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house in the future. I will wake up all my children to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade and make way too much food and worry about the tablescape and whether I should brine, baste or fry my turkey. Ah, the joys of holidays.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Headin' South

Packing and preparing for Disney World! So excited, but super busy. To occupy your mind for a minute or two, some of my favorite travel quotes:

When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.
~Susan Heller


There are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror.
~Orson Welles
(I actually love flying, but yes, there is a good amount of boredom)


Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
~Mark Twain


Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.
~Freya Stark

Thank You

Happy Veteran's Day!

Thank you so very much to all the service men and women who served and are currently serving our country. Our prayers are with you and your loved ones for the daily sacrifices you make for us.

For those currently deployed - stay safe and come home soon.

Never underestimate the power of a thank you.

Roman Weekend

I lived in Rome for five months and I will be the first to admit it was anything but perfect, but it was beautiful and it certainly had its high points. It was definitely one of those things where if you could have done it with the people you care about most in the world, it would have been an entirely different experience. From a culinary standpoint, I wish I had gone out to eat more, but let's be honest, I wasn't exactly rolling in money and I was finding good food on my own ;-).

I was a dipping into the local scene and hitting up the grocery stores and markets, which was often extremely nerve-racking (have you tried ordering meat from a butcher... IN ITALIAN?!?! Not an easy thing to do. I was basically a vegetarian while I was there and returned to the States with significantly better charades skills).

Rome was actually when I realized how much I loved clams... and nutella, LOTS and lots of nutella, not combined though. So, as an ode to my Roman life, I am making Linguine with White Clam Sauce and Crepes this weekend.

Now, crepes aren't strictly a Roman memory for me. I've been making them for years with my family. One of my favorite "comfort foods" is actually a sweet, (fresh) strawberry cream cheese filled crepe, topped with a fresh fruit compote and powdered sugar, which was my Dad's concoction that we perfected together. For the reason of those wonderful memories, I don't think I could make them without him with me, so I'll be having the classic nutella and banana filled crepes this time. A yummy snack that was readily available at a stand right in front of the Pantheon. They were gynormous and delicious and wonderful.

Buon appetito, ragazzi!

I'm Getting Restless

You know what this means if you know me at all... time for a new hair style/color. This was attempted on my birthday a couple months ago but it wasn't exactly satisfying, so time for a redo! This time I can't decide if I want to stick with my original plan to go blond or do my absolute favorite color hair: deep, dark, chocolaty brown. Like almost black.

I also need a hair cut. I'm trying to grow out my hair again, like below:

But, I have a loooong way to go to reach that length, so I'm thinking my cut is going to look more like this:


And probably something similar to this coloring:

Snooze

Do you ever wake up and wish you hadn't... or, that you at least woke up to something entirely different than your reality?

I go through phases where I am just completely taken away with my daydreams and can run away with them for hours on end.

These binges are fueled by music, my everlasting and insatiable addiction. Such artists as Amos Lee, Ray LaMontagne, Ryan Adams, Newton Faulkner, Dispatch and many more are on my playlist. They are my enablers and healers all in one, clouding my thoughts with smooth melodies and acoustic guitars.

At a young age, I learned the best way to feel something was to embrace it fully, so turn up the music and get carried away...

Just Keep Walking

That is exactly what I have to tell myself when Barneys e-mails me these goodies. Sigh. One day, one day...

Macaroni and Cheese... Cheese... Cheese!

When I was in the grocery store with my Mom (when I was little), I made up a song about my favorite food: Macaroni and Cheese. It's really quite amateur, but just so darn catchy that I still sing it whenever I've got M&C on the brain.

I'm a fan of all types and flavors, but I've just recently taken on the venture of making it from scratch. When my Mom was visiting a few weeks ago, we used Paula's slow cooker recipe (which is super creamy and delish).

This week, I'm taking a shot at John Legend's recipe via Martha Stewart. (Note: I may be trying this more for the first name mentioned as opposed to the second :), no offense Martha.) I'll be sure to let you know how it goes... of to the grocery store!

For your beautiful fall day:

John Legend - New Music - More Music Videos

This song makes me happy. Classic.

What are YOU doing for Thanksgiving?

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!!

Woo hoo! I am beyond excited for this trip, that yes, is still a few weeks away, but nonetheless has taken over my brain.


When I was in kindergarten, I remember watching Sleeping Beauty every day after school. Literally, every day. Princess Aurora was just my type of princess. She had THREE "fairy godmothers" (now what Cinderella! boo ya), she had sandy blond hair (just like me) AND she had a different name (just like me).

I love her.



Who is your favorite princess?

Welcome Home

I feel that if this was my home, I would be ecstatic to come home everyday. This house makes me happy for so many reasons. The crisp cream color against the greenery, the symmetry (again, I'm a big fan), the expansive windows, sigh, I swoon. I mean, who wouldn't want to walk through that front door??

More images from amazing Atlanta designer Suzanne Kasler, whom I found out about thanks to La Dolce Vita -- never disappoints--:

I would love to have those pillows. I think my new favorite color is grey. All shades. It's just so chic.

This stripped bed skirt is adorable and I would like it in pale yellow to match my silk curtains:

I love this mix and match of different colors and shapes that work together perfectly.

I love this fireplace. The shape is lovely. It IS the statement in the room.

Dear Santa, I would like the chair in the middle for my apartment. I promise, I've been very good. Thanks!

These couches = awesome.

I want these ottomans!

I love that the painting and the ottomans / stools take this room into modern juuuust enough.

These rooms are just plain glam!

Sorry for the long post guys, but I've been out sick and I've missed this lovely after work outlet. :)

In All Seriousness

A long day is a long day. Watch and laugh. It's good for your soul and good for your abs! :)

Close with a classic...

Eye Candy

I've been a bit M.I.A., but I have a big event this weekend, so unfortunately I'll be out of pocket until next week. I'm going to be a bad parent and show you pretty things to make up for my absence... (can you pick up on the fact that I love lots of natural light??)

(All images from House Beautiful)

Fall Fever?

Long week ahead, but at least it's beautiful outside... during the day... while I'm at work... in my office... with no windows. Sigh. Aren't there studies about this?

Stella & Dot Jewelry

I'm trying for La Dolce Vita's giveaway to win these gorgeous earrings by Stella & Dot:

Amazing right?! Simple enough to wear to work, but still has enough sparkle to make ya feel special! Here are some more of my favorites:

LOVE this Delilah Necklace, looks entirely different on Debra than just by itself!

I can't pull off big, chunky bracelets, but this Grace Pearl Bauble Bracelet is delicate enough to look good on my wrist and is classy to boot!

This Bloom Flower Ring would bring sunshine to anyone's day... I love how the center is a ladybug! Too cute.

On a completely unrelated topic, this video makes smile. So excited for the latest and greatest tonight!