berry cute (sorry, i couldn't help it)

this is simply a balloon coated in paper! so cute!! i want to make these with my students one day. via You are my Fave.

pastry bits

ohmygosh, i want to make these. i want that muffin tin too. zucchini and mushroom pies, which i spotted on design*sponge. (speaking of zucchini, i made angel hair pasta the other night with grated zucchini. just use the large side of a box grater-you'll be surprised how easy it is. zucc grates much quicker than cheese even! thin ribbons. so pretty)

celebration.

for whatever reason (i don't think i really need a reason....) i've been wanting to make, and toss, colorful paper confetti. this wedding cake (seen on coco + kelley) is so phenomenal to me. i am inspired. if/when i find my excuse to make confetti, i'll be sure to take pics. (v-day heart confetti?)

searching for a new home

hubby and i are apt-hunting, which is mostly exciting and a tad bit trying. he saw a listing today for a place with sun-roof lighting. how cute is this apt?? i spotted it on a very classy blog if i may say so: coco + kelley. i want this apt to be in paris, and then i want to live there.

true statement.

i am loving the rain here in L.A. We need it. it's refreshing. and darn cozy. however, the other day (when it was overcast in an ugly way + dry) i told hubby that gloomy weather sure does make me feel gloomy. i don't know that i could live in portland, which is a dream of his. humph.

lions & tigers & bears-OH YEAH!

i can't stop listening to Grizzly Bear. superb album. perfect for driving on the 110 every day of my life.

one day....

i love throwing (casual) wine & cheese parties. one day, i'd love to really get into it. how cute is this picture i spotted on Cup of Jo. Rustic wooden table, simple runner, each guest gets a thin cheese board with the perfect-sized samples and a hand-drawn picture key. bon apetit to the max!

foodie

tonight i gave in to my mac 'n cheese craving. i added finely chopped broccoli. there were def no leftovers. even my cat was on the stovetop licking the spoon (shame on him). i love these images which celebrate the fluffy, creamy, crumbly, sweet and salty beauty of food. blogs: 'happy lady eats'. and 'this is not my work.' YUM.

solemn

i sit here in my cozy, grande apartment. warm pjs, full belly, optimism, happiness. i feel very lucky to have the life that i do. in moments like these, it's hard to have to imagine what life would be like if a 7.0 earthquake had ripped through my neighborhood. what happened in Haiti is too terrible for words to describe. it almost doesn't feel real-when tragedies (naturally-occuring or not) happen in far away places, halfway around the world-it's so easy for us all to continue with our days. i'm thinking a lot about the deaths and destruction that have shaken this other part of our world. i wonder how prepared i am for the possibility of something like that happening here. of course, one can never be prepared enough. all i can do in this moment, as corny as this may sound, is look around at my surroundings and reflect on all that i have and how warm and content i am. what a blessing.

loooove this dress

sorry, but two of my great, great friends are engaged so i'm scouting out wedding blogs as often as i can-so these wedding posts aint goin nowhere....

cats that are almost as cute as mine...

looking purrfectly adorable on for me, for you

happiness.

craving the warmth of summer?

current elliot spring collection, '10, via unruly things

i LOVE this dress!

and this one..... seen on Cup of Jo, both by Elizabeth Dye.

point taken.

caroline duke print, via i am a greedy girl

collage

i love this bedroom that i saw on bloesem, i believe it belongs to the author of bloesem. i felt a wave of nostalgia come over me upon viewing this pic. i used to collage my bedroom walls from floor to ceiling, just the same. maybe a teensy bit messier. i still keep a book. but now i want to collage some walls again. maybe closet doors? inside the frame? keep it semi-neat....

cheerful

i'm feeling semi-better, yay. and here's a shot of some BEAUTIFUL long-stemmed icelandic poppies, spotted on design*sponge. these are my FAVE flowers, save for ranunculus.

flu

flu, boo. 3 days now.

(pretty gingham)

time to shut my eyes, again.

vamp.

givenchy heels, spotted on simply olive.

my computer wallpaper right now

hubby at 1 yr. :) :)

my cute girl

NYE!!

confetti, via what possessed me a partying pup, via what possessed me pink peonies and bubbly, via heart of light that little black (corset) dress by carol hannah, via greedy girl a sweet frock, via unruly things ruffles and heels, via darling dexter high hair and a cocktail dress, via auburn and ivory -Did y'all have a sweet NYE? Greg and I sure did! We made swordfish, roasted potatoes, and salad w/apples and feta. He treated us to a bottle of Layer Cake Shiraz, then we had champagne, grapes, a dance or two, a bonfire, and lots of laughs at my bff's cozy Highland Park home.

another magazine going under

from what i learned on Design Muse, this mag has been around for 55 years. another one bites the dust. now, one can only imagine how much paper we will save when there are less magazines around-a BIG plus. but a part of me would rather find other ways to save paper, because, to reference the author of design muse-the internet may soon be all that we have left. Hubby just subscribed for a year of National Geographic-a special holiday price of $15 for 12 issues instead of $70-ish. yay!!

wasteful packaging

ridiculously unnecessary use of paper and plastic-and for what reason? a sheet of plastic won't keep a banana from bruising-and don't bananas ripen too quickly once pulled from their bunch? i stole this from Design Sponge. it makes me angry.

so cute....

shinzi katoh print, via You Are My Fave.