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. 

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.

Fleur de Citronnier by Serge Lutens: a floral breeze

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

STELLANUDE by Stella McCartney: rose petals

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

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.

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.