Slice of Pink

The Weekender

I'm packing up my nail polish, craft supplies, swimsuit, wine, crimping iron, and polka-dotted pajamas and heading out for my almost-annual girls' weekend with Lauren and Stephanie. This is my third girls-only weekend in a row, which means I really owe my husband. Or, maybe the fact that he doesn't have to clean up the weekly waffle disaster I create when I am home, just means that we are even.

Ferris Wheeling

On Sunday, I rode the big ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier. Ferris wheels always make me a wee bit nervous. I'm not sure why--and it certainly would never stop me from going for a ride--but I get butterflies in my stomach every time I'm at the front of the ferris wheel line. Something unsettling about being in a bucket in the sky, I guess.

I feel the same way about: public speaking, going up the hill on a rollercoaster, when a plane is about to touch down, and buying high ticket items (even if I can afford them).

Truth is, though, I kinda like the apprehension.

The Oaks Gourmet Market

I spent a fair amount of my time in The Oaks Gourmet Market during my visit to Los Angeles this weekend. Let me tell you what I ate from the market and you'll understand why my purse is full of receipts from the place:

1. A Liquid Garden Smoothie: carrot juice, beet juice, spinach, ginger, apples, almonds, honey, apple juice.

2. A carrot cupcake.

3. Brown Butter Sea Salt Cookies.

4. A Fresh Veggies on Cranberry-Walnut Toast sandwich: cucumber, avocado, shaved fennel, red onion, artichoke hearts, sprouts, chive cream cheese (hold the tomato, please).

5. A Cake Monkey Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Cakewich: yellow cake sandwich filled with peanut buttercream, housemade marshmallow & coated with bittersweet chocolate.

There are about three thousand other things I want to try, including this:

Gingersnap liquor. Serious regrets for not picking up a bottle when I had the chance.

Elsewhere

+ I'm still super-excited about Paperless Post

+ I'm talking Seattle's Best Coffee over on the review blog--and there's a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card

+ Don't forget to enter to win a $100 Walgreens Gift Card

Happy Monday!

The Weekender

I'm celebrating women in the law at the annual Ms. JD conference in Los Angeles, California this weekend. The weather is warm, my friends are fabulous, the cheese and sweets are plentiful, and we are making goals for being our best selves.

Fabulous Four

Our first annual fabulous five reunion took place in San Luis Obispo last weekend. If you remember, I am set on meeting up with my law school ladies at least once a year to catch up, drink wine, and be generally fabulous.

Now, first of all, only four of the fabulous five were available, which in my opinion means that this was just the pre-reunion and that another reunion still must take place in 2011 with all five members present. We were just practicin' our wine drinking for our fifth member's return to California.

Second of all, and this is super exciting, we are all lawyers! Last time we were all together we were just miserable bar-takers, boo-hooing over the California Bar Exam. Don't we look all lawyerly? And un-miserable?

Third of all, girlfriends are the best! Call yours and plan a fun getaway pronto. It's absolutely required as far as I am concerned.

{The photo was swiped from Mary's Facebook page, without permission, and taken by Ken.}

Savory and Sweet

For the next three days, until my next big adventure, I am eating only: fruit, vegetables, quinoa, beans, salsa, soy milk, oatmeal, high fiber cereal, non-caloric beverages, and protein bars.

This is because, for the last three days, I ate only: cheese, wine, cheese, crackers, wine, cheese, waffles, french toast, and breakfast tostadas.

After ordering my savory breakfast on Sunday morning, I even made Shannon order me a second breakfast when she got to the counter. I had both a giant breakfast tostada and a big plate of french toast covered in butter (which I shared at least). Do you ever have trouble choosing between a sweet breakfast and a savory breakfast? I think it's one of the worst decisions to have to make. So why not order two?

{I would insert a photo here except I was too busy eating my TWO breakfasts to snap one.}

{Except, look at that, I've been to the cafe before and have actually had the french toast and have taken a photo of it.}

Elsewhere

+ I talk Drybar and The New Face of Talbots at Style Lush

+ There's still time to enter to win $100 from Walgreens!

Happy Monday friends!

The Weekender

Some of my most fabulous friends are on their way to SLO, right this very minute! I'm opening a bottle of vino. I'm cutting up some strawberries. I'm creating a wine tasting map. I've got some cheese in the fridge.

Happy weekend!

Hip To Be Square, Volume 3

A little roundup of photos taken with my iPhone.

First, these boots:

I love these boots and, in fact, I am wearing them at this very moment (with a black dress, black leggings, and long brown sweater, in case you are wondering). They are Franco Sarto's Ponzi Boot. Have I told you the story of how I came to own these boots? It's quite a long tale, so I'll save it for another day.

This fabulous pin was a birthday gift from my friend Jennie. I wish I knew who made it so you could order one, too. Jennie? {Update: the pin is from the lovely Jess. I totally knew that and remembered as soon as I saw Jennie's comment. I blame not having had coffee, yet, when I composed the post!}

While Will shops for food in Trader Joe's, I do the following: (a) look at the 99-cent cards, (b) pick out cookies, (c) eat samples and drink free coffee, (d) take photos of all the pretty flowers with my phone.

I'm very happy about my St. Patty's Day beer. We usually get the green beer, but they didn't have it this year. I was secretly happy that they didn't have the Bud Light turned green, because we got to order a better beer instead (Firestone, yum).

La Super Rica Taqueria is a delicious Mexican food joint in Santa Barbara. Julia Childs loved La Super Rica and so do I. Don't let the tin roof fool or cheap prices fool you.

Paperless Post

Ladies and gents, let me introduce you to a classy site for sending invitations and greeting cards over the Internet. Of course, nothing beats sending mail the old fashioned way (by snail!), but this is a lovely alternative when you absolutely must correspond technologically.

Just look at these lovely invitation designs:

I needed to put together an email invitation recently and wanted something classier than the old Evite sites that I'm used to using. Paperless Post has been a breeze to use and it is dutifully keeping track of all the accepts and regrets for me like a loyal personal assistant. You have to have "stamps" to send the cards, which you can earn for free or purchase at extremely low rates. Plus, you get 25 stamps just for signing up. Hooray for pretty technology!

Me and Martha and My Friends

A couple of my favorite-ever blog friends have joined me in the Me and Martha Project, so we are all trying out recipes, crafts, and other goodies from the pages of Martha Stewart Living.

Rachael prepared Chicken Pot Pies and Chocolate Creme Brulee {February Issue}.

Jennie tried Martha-recommended Essie Topless & Barefoot Nail Polish, made Cork Stamped Greeting Cards, and whipped up a batch of Lemon Salt Scrub {March Issue}.

And, just in case you missed my projects, I made Chewy Chocolate Chunk-Cherry Cookies, hosted a Valentine Crafternoon, drank some Fantastic Fizz, and made Clementines in Cinnamon Syrup {February Issue}.

Care to join us in feeling fabulously and stylishly domestic?

Whole Wide World

Live a crazy dream this week.

{via Nie Nie Dialogues}

The Weekender

First weekend in a long time that I'm not packing a suitcase! We are having visitors this weekend (and next!) so I get to do some sightseeing in my own town for a change.

The forecast calls for rain on Saturday, so we'll be looking for some indoor activities. Have you seen any good movies lately, either on Netflix Instant or at the theater?

Helping Japan

Just a few ways to lend a helping hand:

Buy a Help Japan poster.

Donate to Shelterbox via For Japan with Love.

Donate to the American Red Cross.

Eat a Sprinkles Red Velvet Cupcake on Tuesday, March 22.

{More ideas here.}

Confetti Clean Up

Over at Oh Happy Day, there was a mini-debate about sending confetti in invitations. Nice idea, people said, but what a mess! Neat freaks will hate you!

Friends, I hope you have to clean up a whole lot of confetti in your lives. I hope that I have to clean up a whole lot of confetti in my life. Life is all about those confetti-filled moments. Isn't the cleaning it up a small price to pay for the joy of it all?

My new motto: Live your life so you have to clean up a whole hell of a lot of confetti.

Happy St. Patty's Day

May the winds of fortune sail you,
May you sail a gentle sea.
May it always be the other guy
who says, "this drink's on me."

I'm wearing this dress today, although I didn't wear green to bed last night and got pinched this morning while still in my pajamas.

{Image from here.}

Abide: How to Host a Big Lebowski Birthday Extravaganza

1. Book some lanes at a bowling alley. And a hotel within walking distance.

2. Order White Russians.

3. Encourage costumes. {Don't be lame: pack your bathrobe or Jesus Purple Deluxe Jumpsuit, whichever is fresh from the cleaners.}

4. ABIDE.

St. Patrick's Day Cocktails: Guinness Milkshake

3 jumbo scoops of vanilla ice cream
3 ounces chilled Guinness beer
2 ounces chocolate syrup

1. Add the beer and chocolate syrup to the ice cream.

2. Mix just until blended; the mixture should be very thick.

3. Drizzle inside of a glass with chocolate syrup and pour shake in.

{From 25 Degrees in the Hollywood Roosevelt}

{We also make Guinness Floats on occasion! Yum!}

Happy Pi Day!

What do you get when you take green cheese and divide its circumference by its diameter? Moon Pi.

What do you get when you take the sun and divide its circumference by its diameter?Pi in the sky.

A story about Pi Day from 2007.

Four pie recipes:
Banana Caramel Spice Pie
Tangerine Chiffon Pie
Honey Walnut Pie
Blueberry Crumble Pie

Happy Pi Day!

Elsewhere

+ In case you missed these: I've been talking Pretty Hair, Stylish Souvenirs, and the H&M Spring Collection over at Style Lush.

+ I'm giving away a $100 Walgreens Gift Card! Head over and tell me what Walgreens Brand Health and Wellness Product you need and you'll be entered to win.

Happy Monday lovelies!

{Image from Martha Stewart Weddings}

The Weekender

Another weekend where I am not at liberty to divulge my plans. It's hard keeping secrets from you!

While I can't tell you about my plans for this weekend, I can tell you where I'll be April 1 and 2: I'll be celebrating women in the law at the annual Ms. JD conference in Los Angeles, California. If you are a law student or lawyer, you should join us! Registration is filling up, so get on the list soon. And then let me know you'll be there so I can get you into the VIP room.

(There's not really a VIP room, but I'll figure out something special for you!)

What are you up to this weekend?

Square Feet

A frequently recurring conversation around these parts is how small a space we'd be willing to live in, in exchange for living in a great town. It's no secret that the more desirable the location, the more expensive the real estate. And, of course, the more expensive the real estate, the less square footage you get for your dollar.

Will's position is pretty balanced: he wants to live somewhere great, but also likes some space. My position is more extreme: for me, it boils down to location, location, location. In our hypotheticals, I'd nearly always trade square footage for the opportunity to live in a desirable locale.

Still, I am positive I could never go this small (the great hole in my argument):

For one thing, where would I keep my snow globe collection?

While there's no way I could do it, I think architect Matthew Hofmann's redesign of his 1978 Airstream, which he lives in, is admirable. He's living sustainably in a clean space, he's living minimally, and he pays nothing to live on a beautiful California view property on the Southern Coast.

I love this part:

I sold and no longer own: A dvd player, audio receiver, 7 speaker surround sound, plasma tv, desktop PC, laptop computer, countless remote controls, wireless home speaker system, and portable radio. I then purchased: an iMac.

I could certainly vacation in a Hofmann-styled Airstream for a week at a time.

But then I'd need extra square footage on which to park it.

My Desk

Do you guys like the My Desk feature in Vanity Fair? I find it fascinating!

{Click over to see eight desks, including the desks of Martha Stewart and Oprah.}

Someday I'll take a photo of my desk for you, but I can assure you it is not nearly as interesting.

I have: a jar of multivitamins, a globe pencil sharpener, a cup of coffee, a Rolodex, legal pads, a stapler, clementines, a Mason jar filled with pens, a California Code book, a rootbeer scented pencil, and a big stack of legal files.

Happy 29, Again

Growing up, there was a magnet on my grandparents' fridge that read something like this: "in a world full of fad food diets, you're my jelly doughnut!"

My Grampa loved raspberry-filled jelly doughnuts. Loved them so much, in fact, that when the Los Angeles Times did a write-up about his 1991 memorial service, the reporter focused on two things: 1) the fact that on every birthday he turned 29 and 2) how much he loved those jelly doughnuts (one student recounted how "he would giggle as he licked raspberry filling from the corners of his lips.")

My family has designated March 9, Grampa's birthday, as Jelly Doughnut Day. You don't have to have known Grampa to celebrate being young at heart and to honor a love-of-life legacy. So go have a jelly doughnut.

Seas Opportunities

This past weekend was our dear friend Gavin's birthday and Jenny planned a fantastic birthday sailing extravaganza, complete with 36 foot sailboat and a captain. Our friends, Kris and Jeff, brought a delicious lunch, complete with olives, crackers, homemade hummus, veggies, cheese, and wine. Will and I brought, well, we brought ourselves.

Originally, I was going to bring the snacks, but when Kris offered, I happily passed the task on to her. She's way better at that sort of thing. My "fancy" basically consists of whatever cheese costs more at Trader Joe's (Oh! A fancy party, you say? Why, I think I'll get this $9 fancy cheese instead of my usual $4 cheddar!)

I did go out and get a nautical ensemble for the event. Have y'all been to Forever 21 lately? It's a nautical explosion in the place with all sorts of stripes in navy and red, rope belts, and assorted items printed with anchors.

I also intended to get a pair of new white Keds. Word on the street was that we needed to wear light colored soles on our shoes, which means that we all went out and bought brand new shoes. Of course, I waited until the eleventh hour, so I was unable to find Keds before the stores closed on Friday night and ended up at a Payless where I picked up some pretty cool Tom's look-alikes.

{Lesli and Stephanie both guessed that I needed new pair of Keds in my little multiple choice guessing game, which means that I owe them each a postcard!}

{Also? The captain? Not wearing light colored soles.}

And, so, there was good friends and good food and new shoes and we were all happy.

Have you been sailing? I had never been and I expected it to be a ton of work. Remember that episode of Friends when Rachael takes Joey sailing and a bunch of drama ensues? Yeah, I kind of expected it to be like that.

Totally not like that.

It was much more relaxing! With wine! And some dolphins in the distance!

I even was permitted to drive the boat and I was, without a doubt, the worst driver of the group. All I had to do was drive toward a mountain in the distance. I tried to drive straight toward the peak, but ended up zigzagging the whole way. We eventually straightened out, but only because Gavin took the wheel from the side and I only pretended to steer.

Happy Birthday Gavin!

Gallery Going

On Friday night, we attended an art show where our friend Ken had six amazing photographs on display. I'm lucky enough to have four pieces by Ken in my office, all of beautiful central coast scenery. I got mine for free, but now they are going for $200 a pop. I'm Ken's agent (self-appointed) so if you want a Ken Brandstetter original, shoot me an email.

While we are here, let me introduce you to my SLO girls, Jenna and Stacey:

Our husbands play volleyball together once a week, so we get to use the time to have crafternoons or see chick flicks.

The guys all called each other ahead of time and decided to go with their plaid shirts for the evening. Isn't that so cute?

{Wait? So no new Keds or llamas or wigs or purple or a rental van? Hold tight, the answer is coming soon.}

Bicycle Round Up XXVI

A cool bike shelf

Zip Tie Snow Tires {thanks Nicole!}

Horsey by Eungi Kim {thanks Nicole!}

An adorable wedding shoot.

Bicycle Inflation in Paradise?

The Weekender

This weekend is full of exciting plans, some of which I am not at liberty to discuss with you presently. I promise a full recap (with photos) next week.

My plans do include ONE of the following:

1) Llamas
2) Wigs
3) A Rental Van
4) New Keds
5) A Whole Lotta Purple

(My life is bizarre, yes.)

Which one? Take a guess! I'll send anyone who guesses correctly a postcard!

(This is tricky because my upcoming weekends each feature one of these. But which one applies to this weekend? Ha! It's a secret.)

Rides a Bike

Thank you to everyone who sent me a link to this fabulous Rides a Bike Tumblr.

Charles Boyer and Katharine Hepburn ride bikes.

Grace Kelly stands near her bike.

Love it!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

It's Dr. Seuss' Birthday! When I was in junior high school I wrote a paper on Dr. Seuss. Back in those days, I actually had to type the paper on a typewriter and I didn't have Google to assist. A few fun facts from my stellar research:

+ Dr. Seuss' first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected by 27 editors before it was finally published in 1937.

+ The first recorded instance of the word “nerd” is in If I Ran the Zoo, published in 1950.

+ Somebody bet Dr. Seuss that he couldn't write a book with 50 words or less. The result: Green Eggs and Ham, which uses only 50 words.

Catalog Living

Have you guys been reading Catalog Living? It's a funny site chronicling the lives of the fictional characters that live in our catalogs. The main characters are Gary and Elaine, an imaginary couple who reside and entertain in the interiors from retail catalogs.

A couple of examples:

Elaine was reminded once again that she needed to be more specific when giving Gary instructions like “put napkins on the table and beer in the glasses.”

Oh dear, our Q-Tip decanter is almost 1/5th depleted.

Gary’s eyesight has gotten so bad he can’t even read an atlas with binoculars anymore.

{P.S. That is actually my couch! For those of you who helped me decide not to buy the Costco sofa that I was lukewarm about--thank you! It's never good to settle and you gently reminded me of that fact!}

Me and Martha: Chewy Chocolate Chunk-Cherry Cookies

I completed my final Martha and Me task from the February issue of Martha Stewart Living: Chewy Chocolate Chunk-Cherry Cookies.

These cookies were a disaster. I don't know what I did wrong, but they did not look AT ALL like the picture and instead were super buttery (read: oily) in a not-so-attractive way. Which would have been fine if they tasted amazing, which they didn't.

Maybe I didn't refrigerate the dough long enough. Actually, to be more clear, I DID NOT refrigerate the dough long enough, but I refrigerated it mostly long enough and would cookie dough really know the difference between 45 minutes of refrigeration and one hour of refrigeration?

Maybe I did not beat the eggs or the sugar or the butter for the proper length of time.

Maybe it's Martha and not Me. The commenters seem to agree that the recipe is terrible, so I'll happily pass the blame.

In any event, I threw all the cookies in the trash, but here's the recipe if you want to give it a go.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (2 1/2 cups)
8 ounces dried cherries (1 1/2 cups)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then flour mixture. Beat in chocolate and cherries. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

2. Roll dough into 1 3/4-inch balls (about 3 tablespoons each), and arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets set on wire racks for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks; let cool completely.

Elephant Years

Two Asian elephants, Sujatha and Little Mac, were celebrating their 40th birthdays during our visit to the Santa Barbara Zoo on Saturday. When we bought our tickets at the front gate, an employee gave us birthday stickers to wear and informed us that the elephants were turning 40 "in elephant years." I was curious as to the meaning of "elephant years" but, as it turns out, Sujatha and Little Mac were born in 1971, which makes "elephant years" the same as "human years" (but with more wrinkles). They celebrated with spa salads, piñatas, and pedicures.

Brief Guide to Life

A very brief guide to life. Let's start the week off right.

less TV, more reading
less shopping, more outdoors
less clutter, more space
less rush, more slowness
less consuming, more creating
less junk, more real food
less busywork, more impact
less driving, more walking
less noise, more solitude
less focus on the future, more on the present
less work, more play
less worry, more smiles
breathe

{by Leo Babauta via Zen Habits}

The Weekender

Happy weekend, friends! This weekend we are celebrating my dad's 60th birthday, which probably means some clam chowder, some gambling, and a trip to the zoo.

When I was a kid, my dad taught me the silly birthday song that goes:

Happy birthday to you!
You live in a zoo!
You look like a monkey--
And you smell like one, too!

(And then you laugh hysterically.)

So, a birthday zoo trip is only proper. In case you were wondering, the monkeys at the Santa Barbara Zoo are the best. Were you wondering? Oh, good, I'm so glad I was able to clear that up for you.

What are your weekend plans?

Honeysuckle

I stuck a new banner up there last week or so and thought I ought to explain myself since a couple of y'all emailed asking what was up with the honeysuckle reference.

Apparently, every year there is a color selected as the official color of the year. Pantone, the world-renowned authority on color, gets the honor of choosing the official color and, for 2011, the official color is honeysuckle.

Also known as pink.

It didn't take us here at Slice of Pink (us, of course, being me and Will) until 2011 to realize that pink was, as Pantone says, "a captivating, stimulating color." Pantone goes on to say:

A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.

This is far more thought than I ever really put into the topic, but alrighty.

And, thus, the banner.

The whole deal reminds me of this chart from the funny guys at Doghouse Diaries:

Housework Rules

A friend recently posted a Facebook update that asked: Would you be a good 1950s wife or husband? Would you want to be?

My initial answer was "no and no."

Sure, I like 1950s dresses, retro aprons, Jell-o salads, but let's get real. All that cleaning? My threshold for cleaning is ten minutes a day.

I barely know how to work the coffee pot.

Ironing? No.

Will does at least half of the cooking (what? I let him do all the jobs that require using a big knife and I make him open the jars). I like to bake, yes, but only because I'm not required to do it. I can mix a drink, but if I'm mixing one for my husband, I'm mixing one for myself, too.

In my world (and please know that I speak only for myself here), 1950s wifely duties are best shared or, better yet, outsourced.

But then! I read the question again and lo! I missed a very important part. You see, the question asks whether I would make a good 1950s wife or husband.

You know, I would make a spectacular 1950s husband. Can you imagine? An ever-perky someone bringing you mixed drinks and newspapers and slippers? Never having to cook a meal or mop a floor or iron a pair of pants? Sounds swell.

And you? Would you be a good 1950s wife or husband? Would you want to be?

Weekend in Review

It's already Wednesday, which is crazy because we're halfway to next weekend and I still haven't told you about last weekend (other than the fact that I saw two movies, drank two large fountain sodas, and ate two boxes of Raisinets).

We kicked off the weekend at a bar called Legends in Morro Bay. There's a moose head on the wall with twinkly lights strung about the antlers, a shuffleboard table, and a little window to the Italian restaurant next door, through which you can order pizza and cheesy garlic bread. It's one of my favorite new places.

On Saturday, we wine tasting in Edna Valley. I hate to brag, but this is less than ten minutes from my house:

Yes. I sometimes have to pinch myself to make sure it is all not just a dream. I feel spectacularly lucky and want you all to come visit immediately so we can go wine tasting and play bocce ball at a vineyard.

On Sunday, we walked to a bakery for coffee and pastries, then over to the local hardware store for some potting soil and a trowel so that I could plant my new succulents. I also browsed the magazine aisle at Barnes and Noble, one of my favorite things in life, before seeing the first of my two weekend flicks.

Monday included an Indian buffet, a trip to Costco, another movie.

Somehow, in the mix, we also watched about eight episodes of Weeds on Netflix, which is an incredibly addicting show with a fantastic soundtrack.

Initially, I was going to tell you how unproductive the weekend was because I didn't deal with things like the folding of the laundry or the going to the grocery store, but I was very productive in the area of fun, which is the very best sort of productive to be, in my opinion.

Romantic Comedies

Over the weekend I saw two romantic comedies at the theater (and ate two boxes of Raisinets and drank two large fountain drinks). I saw Just Go With It with Will on Sunday.

And then went to No Strings Attached with my friend Stacey last night.

I'm probably the worst movie reviewer ever because I generally like any movie that keeps me entertained and makes me laugh at least a little bit. That's really all I hope for. I'm happy to report that both of the weekend movies kept me entertained and made me laugh quite a bit. Plus, I adore both Jennifer Aniston and Natalie Portman.

Have you seen either of these movies? Do you have a more critical review?

Happy President's Day

In celebration of President's Day, I'm gonna go see about framing a huge print I bought before the last election.

Hope your day is stately.

The Weekender

What are your weekend plans, friends? I'm planning to do some wine tasting, some sleeping in, and some book reading. It's pouring rain right now, but if we get a bit of sunshine, I'm gonna climb a volcanic peak (seriously) and maybe go for a run.

{image from yvette inufio}

The Glass Castle

I finished The Glass Castle several weeks ago--in fact, I finished it about three days after I started it--and I just have to say what an incredible book it was. It was among the best books I’ve read in the last decade. To all of you who recommended it, thank you.

This is another one of those books that would be best read in a book club. There were so many aspects I'd love to discuss and instead I ramble on about it to people who haven't read it and try to convince them to pick up a copy.

Now what?

On my nightstand:

Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other {thanks Will!}
Woman Lawyer {thanks Jen!}
Half Broke Horses {thanks mom!}

Scatterbrained

This morning I forgot to put on a slip.

I forgot to curl my eyelashes.

I left my cell phone at home.

I forgot to bring something for lunch.

Today is not starting off so well. Perhaps I should walk home and go back to bed.

Behold

The whole Internet is agog over Anthropologie's new wedding line, although I had pretty much ignored the whole hoopla because, yo, I'm already married and plan to stay that way. No use mulling over what might have been.*

But, since they went to the trouble to send me an email about the line, inviting me to come over and take a look, I found myself on the website looking at all the gorgeous things. Then I discovered this little gem:

Nuptials of Yesteryear

Aren't they great?

*I say I've avoided the hoopla, although, admittedly, this dress, these shoes, and this headband would be fabulous for renewing my vows at the ten year mark. Less than three years to go. I want all of you to be my renewal-maids and matrons, so go pick out your dresses.

Love Letter Ring

Isn't this ring lovely?

Valentine Getaway

A few weekends ago, to celebrate our birthdays, Jenny and I visited Santa Monica where we toured the Getty Villa, shopped on 3rd Street, and ate buttery croissants in the hotel beds. We also bar hopped through downtown Santa Monica, having a cocktail and appetizer at each of four bars, and I highly recommend this kind of fun when visiting a city. We started at an alehouse where we had wine and a goat cheese quesadilla, moved to a cafe where we had honey cocktails and spring rolls, then stopped in at an Irish pub for margaritas and ravioli (I have no idea...), and ended at a cheesy themed fish house for Irish coffees and cake.

Our husbands, jealous at all the fun that didn't include them, spent the weekend concocting their own plan to go golfing, eat burritos, and play tennis. The first weekend they were both available was Valentine's weekend and we, being the amazingly wonderful wives we are, encouraged them to just go ahead and book the trip despite the holiday (which was on Monday, anyway, so it's not like they'd be missing the actual day).

And, so, our husbands spent Valentine's weekend at a hotel on the beach. They played golf, went out for drinks, watched a college baseball game, played tennis, and ate at a seafood restaurant on the ocean. I think they even walked on the beach.

As they enjoyed some quality guy time (no doubt telling stupid guy jokes), Jenny and I got to thinking: they did leave us home on Valentine's weekend. So, despite the fact that their weekend away was in response to our weekend away, we should get another girls' weekend away, to even things out. Fair's fair.

Valentine Cocktails: Le Seduction

Le Seduction

1 1/2 oz Ketel One Citroen
3/4 oz Sweet & Sour
3/4 oz Sprite
A Splash Chambord

Mix all ingredients in a chilled martini shaker and shake vigorously before pouring into a cold martini glass with a sugar rim.

{via Les Deux, Hollywood}

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sweethearts, it's my very favorite holiday! Have a lovely, lovely day!

Valentine Cocktails: French Kiss

3/4 oz Chambord
3/4 oz peach schnapps
3/4 oz vodka
splash orange juice
splash pineapple juice
splash cranberry juice

Serve straight up in a martini glass.