Reading Corner Inspiration

I am hoping to create a reading corner in my house this year.  Wanted: a set of comfy chairs, an arc floor lamp, and a little table on which to rest a cup of tea, a pile of books, and my laptop.  Herewith, some reading corner inspiration.

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Mildred Pierce

Last night while waiting for Big Love to come on, I saw a teaser for the mini-series Mildred Pierce and was intrigued.  I remember when it was filming in NYC for a little while last year.  I basically love anything Kate Winslet is in, and am a sucker for period pieces.  (Though I still have Masterpiece Theatre's 4-part Downtown Abbey on my DVR.)

Source

Snow Day

Back from a wonderful night away with the girls.  Even though we were only away for 24 hours, we packed a lot in.  A trip to the beach for some playing in the snow was the highlight.  Funny how snow can be so much more enjoyable when you don't have to trudge through it on the way to school or work.

Weekend Getaway

image via HBO

I am off for a weekend away with the McGill girls.  As my friend Gina says "it will be just like Sex and the City, except not in the Hamptons" (and I might add it is the middle of winter and there will be lots of snow).

Week In Review

Oh just Joni, Crosby, and Clapton (and a baby), Los Angeles.  Photo by Henry Diltz, via

HAPPY FRIDAY!  Here are some posts I admired this week:

A beautiful home office.

FIPS talks to Grace Bonney about the neighborhood.  Yes, the Coop people really are that crazy.

Altitude Design Summit sounds like it was awesome.

Healthy Brunch Recipes!

Think I will have to stop by Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store for some of these.

Good to know it's summer somewhere.

Bermuda Triangle of Productivity

Ha, thanks to Swiss Miss for sharing.  I would substitute Twitter with Google Reader, but otherwise, welcome to my life (like today, I'm supposed to be cleaning the house, instead I'm catching up on blogs).

Via Swiss Miss, via

Oscar Hopes

The Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday!  As an enthusiastic award show viewer since I was young, I can't wait for the show February 27th.  This year I am particularly rooting for two fabulous females.

Michelle Williams for Best Actress.  Even though I was not a huge fan of Blue Valentine as a movie (didn't find the central relationship compelling), I thought Michelle's acting was off the charts.  I've been a fan since Dawson's Creek, I love her style, and hope to spot her around Brooklyn one of these days.  Also having seen Black Swan, I think Michelle showed more range in Blue Valentine than Natalie Portman in BS ... I'm just saying.

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Hailee Steinfeld for Best Supporting Actress.  Okay, I love the Old West, especially stories of women in the Old West, and as a result True Grit is one of my favorite films of late.  Hailee completely brought the no-nonsense heroine Mattie Ross to life and she beat out 15,000 other young women to do so.

Image via

Stocking Up

Along with starting this blog, my other New Year's resolution is to cook more and try at least one new recipe per week.  So far so good.  This resolution has been made easier by the fact that for Christmas I received my first real knife - it cuts like a dream and makes chopping so much easier than with awful Ikea knives.  Next hurdle: I have to get my pantry stocked.  Up until now I've been making due with a bottle of olive oil, salt & pepper, and a few other spices.  Currently dreaming of having a pantry like this:

Image via Design*Sponge

Sale Warning

Alert, alert, All Saints is having a sale.  Ever since they opened their American store in SoHo last year I've had to stop myself from going in because the price point is just a bit high for me.

But now that there is a sale, I just might have ordered these two things ...

Oh, and Sarah B. got a hat too.  Funnily enough, we justified the purchases partly because we could share the cost of shipping ... but turns out there was free shipping.  So much for that.

Where are they now?

After reading this hysterical article, I started to think about what other books I adored between the ages of 9 and 13.  There seems to be a theme of strong female characters.  I should go back and do a few re-reads one of these days.

West Against the Wind -- historical fiction about a family on the Oregon trail.  The main character gets her period on the journey - traumatic.

Walk Two Moons - still brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it.  Love the main character Sal and her grandparents.

Nancy Drew - read 'em all, the original series and the trashy new series.  Was Nancy Drew for Halloween in 4th grade.

Find a Stranger Say Good Bye - Lois Lowry long before she wrote "The Giver."  As Natalie searches for her birth mother, it's teen self-discovery at its best.

The Face on the Milk Carton - there are no words.  Imagine seeing your own face on a milk carton!?!?!?!?  (And having a boyfriend named Reeve who you kiss when raking leaves.)

All that said, I really did love when a Baby-Sitters' Club Super Special would come out.  I may or may not have wanted to live in NYC because of Super Special #6.

Weather contrast

It's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago John and I were in California and it looked like this:

John on the beach at Spanish Bay - 17 Mile Drive, Carmel, CA

And this is our street as of late last week.  Beautiful, but bone-chillingly cold.  I appreciate Daily Intel's assertion that  It’s All Canada’s Fault You Can’t Feel Your Face

Soup

It. Is. So. Freaking. Cold.  I know I lived in Montreal for four years where the current temp is -13 degrees with windchill, so I really shouldn't complain, but really now.  15 degrees with windchill in NYC is still pretty brutal.  In the last two weeks I have been drowning my weather-related sorrows in making soup, and a lot of it.


May I recommend ...
Whole Living's Creamy Broccoli White Bean Soup.

Kale, Potato, and Black Bean Soup featured on FitSugar.

Giada De Laurentiis' Lentil Soup

Italian White Bean and Spinach Soup

Country (Strong) Style

Last week my friend Liz and I saw "Country Strong."  Despite all the negative reviews, we had to go see Gwyneth strut her stuff as a country singer.  And guess what?  It wasn't that bad!  In fact we both enjoyed it, though admittedly it does have more than a healthy dose of melodrama.

I especially loved the character Kelly Canter's clothes.  Lots of cowboy boots, plaid shirts, and silver bracelets.  If only I could emulate the outfit featured above.  

Hmmm, maybe I'll try.

I could start with a basic plaid shirt:

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Add some killer leather pants:

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And top off with some classic black cowboy boots:

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Judging from my generally casual style, I think the leather pants would be the hardest to pull off.  Oh well.

And speaking of cowboy boots, this photo always makes me smile.  I saw it years ago and can't remember where, so alas no photo credit.

Something I love about blogs

One thing I love about blogs is how I have discovered so many new and fun things on the internet via a vast chain of blogs.  For example, one blog will lead you to another blog and then another blog and next thing you know you're following one hundred blogs in Google Reader (thank goodness that exists).  I started following Mrs. French a few years ago, after SFGirlByBay featured her photographs, and I think I found SFGirlByBay through Domino (RIP).  All this to say, this week Mrs. French introduced me to the Brochu Walker Spring 2011 collection and I quite like it.  I especially adore the simple aesthetic of the outfit below.

Photo via

Suckling Pig Dinner

On Friday night, in honor of our friend Joe's birthday, we partook in a delicious treat - the Suckling Pig Dinner at The Breslin.  Served with caesar salad, duck fat roasted potatoes, roasted fennel, broccoli rabe, salsa rossa and salsa verde, our little piglet was 30 pounds of culinary glory.  Here's to to birthday celebrations of fellow foodie friends.


Below is a photo of the little guy.  Actually, the waitress said he was quite big compared to what they usually serve.  We had about 30 pounds between 7 people.  Needless to say, there were quite a lot of leftovers.

A slightly more artful shot by John Miller.

Lastly, here's our dessert.  Much more refined than the pig.

In closing, check out The Breslin, eat some pork.

Pancakes! British children!

Today The New York Times featured an article about pancakes.  The only recipe I need though is the one Jamie Oliver provides in this video.  Okay, maybe I've never even used the recipe ... I just love watching this clip of him and his daughters.  These little British children are to die for!





PS. I have "Food Revolution" on my Amazon wishlist :)

I Heart Montreal

Ohhh, I am coveting this amazing print on Etsy.  I do in fact, Heart Montreal.  Too bad I have no more wall space available on which to display it.

Inauguration Day

Photo via http://www.jfklibrary.org/

As I told Amber while in the Bay Area last month, I've been meaning to start a blog for ages.  So I made it my New Year's resolution.  It's debuting on January 20th -- fitting both because I accomplished a resolution in a decent amount of time, and because today is the 50th anniversary of JFK's inauguration (and I just LOVE the Kennedys).  Check out the Tumblr At Its Best for fun Kennedy photos.

Keith Richards

My friend Claire got my the new Keith Richards memoir for my birthday and I can't put it down.  I love the little tidbits he provides (for example, he thinks The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds is "overproduced").  Also, who knew he had a young love affair with Ronnie Spector?!  On page 164 he writes:

"The first time I went to heaven was when I awoke with Ronnie asleep with a smile on her face.  we were kids.  It doesn't get any better than that.  Just more refined.  What can I say?  She took me to her parents' house, took me to her bedroom.  Several times, but that was the first time.  And I'm just a guitar player.  You know what I mean?'

Brooklyn Flea

Garance goes to Brooklyn Flea!  Sarah B. and I were there on Sunday too -- we just had Red Hook pupusas though, Garance was there to buy.

New She & Him Video - Midcentury Design!

Another cute video from She & Him.


She & Him - Don't Look Back from Merge Records on Vimeo.