Minggu, 30 Januari 2011

Lightening Up Winter

It's been a chilly weekend, we're digging out from all the snow and waiting for more this week.  So, I made some of Bakerella's lemon bars to cheer me up, adding some toasted pinenuts.  The snow isn't all bad though, actually one very early morning it was quite pretty.









It was hard to see what was in the frame since I was just using my Blackberry camera, but I like this last snowy pic, it feels meaningful to me at this point.
And I received some really pretty orange and yellow roses today, so that made me happy too. 

Rabu, 26 Januari 2011

Smells Good

Smell is a potent wizard that transports you 
across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived. 
-- Helen Keller


Can't sleep, I guess there's been a lot going on.  I'm thinking a lot about memories lately, how they can come up when you least expect it.  You can pass someone on the street and be thrown back into your past, catching the scent of maybe something your mother baked when you were little, or of a perfume worn by someone who used to love you.  These perfumes all bring memories back to me, at least for a little while.  I took the pics on a warm summer Saturday morning when anything was possible, or at least seemed more so than now in the dead of winter.

ELLE by Yves Saint Laurent: pink berries, lychee, peony, vetiver
 Fiori di Capri by Carthusia: carnation, lily of the valley, oak, amber
24, Faubourg by Hermes: floral amber, sun-drenched, glowing, sensual, light 
IF by Apothia: citrus, exotic flowers, clean pacific musk
Maitresse by Agent Provocateur: lotus, ylang ylang, osmanthus, jasmin sambac
Celestial Maracuja by Molton Brown: tuberose, jasmine, amber
White Patchouli by Tom Ford: citrus, coriander, jasmine, rose, sandalwood
Euphoria by Calvin Klein: luminescent, delicate, sheer, sensual
Eau Parfumée Au Thé Blanc by Bvlgari: artemisia, white pepper, musk, amber
Kim Kardashian: bright, sweet, pale wood, vanilla musk
Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf: an explosive mix of a thousand flowers
Infusion de Tubereuse by Prada: petigrain bigararde, blood orange, dynamone
Chance by Chanel: sweet sensual floral

Rabu, 19 Januari 2011

A Japanese Flower Show

I was so happy to attend the Japan Bloom Fair organized by 
the Naniwa Flower Auction Co. Ltd. at The Japan Society yesterday.
There's a record # of pics here, so I won't say much, 
just thanks to Gary Page for the lead on Twitter!
Some pretty rose hat box arrangements, 
would be great for Valentine's Day!
Orchids
Eustoma
Delphinium
Scabiosa
Ranunculus
great colors
Roses
lots of roses
a soft, blushing shade
love the name of this one
 and this one
 Sweet pea
 so light and airy
Wish I could've spent more time there, 
but it was a welcome bright spot in a dreary, slushy, wintry day.

Selasa, 11 Januari 2011

Happy 01-11-11

I love thinking about dates -- maybe a little too much.  Like having a lot of New Year's resolutions, I tend to keep a lot of calendars. Walking by A.I. Friedman, I saw this gorgeous calendar in the window from Snow & Graham Letterpress and fell in love with it.  
Last year I made much simpler calendars here and here, but it's a busy week and I actually love each and every month's picture from Snow & Graham -- and that doesn't always happen with all 12!  Then of course, there's the Blackberry.
And a printed calendar at work -- and a CAT CALENDAR! from my friend Rachael.
And a page-a-day from my friend Carlie.  I like all of them for different reasons.  
And a few more things made me happy on this historic day -- we won't have another one like it til 11-11-11.  Surprise: there were still leftovers from my arrangement for Koru Kate.  I heart this saijo persimmon Voluspa candle, which reminds me of a delicious persimmon bellini recently.  Also have a project in mind for these other 2 candles...
Got the February issue of Martha Stewart Living -- yummy and gorgeous and chock full of inspiring Valentine's ideas -- love it!
That inspired me to get a red velvet cupcake from Sweet Hoboken, mmm.
And I finally bought flowering branches!  I longingly eyed the quince in the flower market last March so I was surprised to see it in the market today.  The salesman said it would continue blooming so it'll be nice to see what happens.