Be still my Paper Heart.

That darn Michael Cera always makes me smile a goofy smile. I have to say this movie looks pretty sweet.

(pssst, click ze pic to watch the trailer!)

Esen Demirici is cool.

Searching on the web is like one giant scavenger hunt—and I love when I accidentally stumble upon something I wasn't even looking for. So a while back I was researching wallpaper (don't ask) and I stumbled upon the dreamy collage work of Esen Demirci. Her work borrows heavily from vintage fashion magazines, so you know I'm totally in love. Part collage and part illustration, Esen describes her work as, "A bit of humour and pop music of the 50s."  

And you should see the wallpaper...

images: Esen Demirici

From My Closet

The weather has been a rollercoaster here in San Francisco. We had a crazy heat wave, then it was ffffrrrrreeeezing.
Today it is sunny but brisk. Like Fall. Only it's April. I actually like this kind of weather but I admit I'm ready for some heat people! Here's what I wore to wrangle the weather:

+ Zebra print dress, can't remember who made it
+ Hot Pink tights, We Love Colors (best tights online, handsdown!)
+ Black Cardigan, Target
+ Grey Boots, TopShop
+ Marc by Marc Jacobs Bag (which I love, but have to admit weighs 50 pounds with nothing in it)
+ White and Blue Beads, Thriftstore (Granny Chic, holla!)<
+ Yellow Beads, Top shop

Rock a Hula Luau

I think the uke is one of the most charming instruments around. One of my favorite songs is Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of "Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World." We even had it as one of the songs we played at our wedding. Now check out my most recent discovery....oh how happy this little Flying V Ukelele makes me! Who knew?  (listen to ukalele Over The Rainbow here!)

Image of Cool Uke Girl: Lovers Unite!

Small but mighty, I'm tellin' you the uke has always had it going on. Don't believe me? Ask these guys....

Have an ice day.

I get obsessed with the most random things. One of my top “random obsessions” are these ice cubes. 

Yes, you heard me. I said ice cubes. The thing is, they look like giant diamonds and honestly I can’t think

of anything more fun.

Imagine pouring yourself a nice cool glass of freshly squeezed lemonade (strawberry

of course) and seeing these pretty lovelies tinkling and shimmering in the sunlight. Completely unexpected,

and I’m sure they’d be amazing in a fancy cocktail too. They’re crazy cheap, so who knows why I haven’t

snagged a tray for myself. If you pick up a set, be sure to take a picture of your bedazzled beverage and

send it my way!

Buy them here!

Tasty Treat of the Day.

So the other day one of my Flickr pals, the lovely Shutterbean, posted an asparagus tart she had made. The ingredients are simply puff pastry, asparagus, gruyere cheese, lemon and a little salt and pepper. And whooooooooo chile I have been cravin' it ever since. I used ready made pie dough, because I happened to have some on hand, and it was still deeeeelectable. And truthfully SO easy. It's one of those dishes that looks impressive but seriously can be whipped together with a little salad in minutes.

Oh, I added a little sauteed shallot as well and it gave it a really nice flavor.

Thanks Miss Tracy for the fabulous suggestion. (PS Shutterbeanie's food photos are always amazing, so please be sure to check her out!)

My Fair (little) Lady.

One of my all-time favorite movies is My Fair Lady (and despite the Julie Andrews debacle, I think Audrey Hepburn's Eliza Dolittle is brilliant).

So when I caught yet another video from that darn Britain's Got Talent....well, I couldn't help but be charmed. This show is seriously killing me.

Oh yeah? Take THAT Monday....

Oh ho Monday! I know you are lurking around the corner trying to bring me down with yer "get back to workness". But guess what? We don't care. We had a totally awesome Sunday and didn't even think about you once. So there.

100 Beyonce's

100 Beyonce's storm Picadilly Circus in London. This song is so damn infectious. I think the sassy blonde bottom right is my fave.



London is all about the Flash Mob dance these days. I have to say l thought the Liverpool Street Station dance was pretty brill.

Sunshine please.

The weather here has been completely bizarro. For the past three days it was so hot we had to bust out the fans...we're talking in the 80s, "It's so dang hot the cat won't even sleep inside because our house is like an oven" hot. And today? I'm freezing. It's 49 degrees out and windy. I'm literally contemplating making a fire. Whaaaa? San Francisco's weather is notoriously fickle. But fingers crossed we'll have a bright and sunny weekend! I mean, I was *just* getting used to the idea of not needing shoes.

Happy Mornings.

In the spirit of Night Owls vs Morning People (and our chat about coffee) I was reminded of this hilarious commercial from a few years back. Its wacky sense of humor reminds me of Christopher Guest and A Mighty Wind/Best in Show. I love the idea of morning arriving in the form of a kooky dance group dressed in blinding yellow! Click the pic to watch....Happy Friday!

Tea Party.

In theory, I really want to be a tea drinker. There is something so charming about tea—the cups, the cute little kettle boiling on the stove. Tea is infinitely soothing and comforting. Classy even.

I was in London this past January and a nice cuppa tea became part of our daily ritual.  It seemed so smart. I vowed to keep it up back here in the states. After a little bit of poking around the tea section, I found this amazing Tazo Berryblossom tea. Not only did it come in a lovely package, it was an enticing white tea with a touch of blueberry and cranberry. I’d love to romance you with how it tastes like eating fresh juicy berries under a sun dappled oak tree in a big pretty meadow….but instead I’ll tell you it's simply a damn fine cup of tea.  The story should end here except I’m just not ready to be a tea girl yet. The problem? I love coffee.

Photos found here and  here.

Nothing makes me happier than a big cup of coffee goodness. I love a tasty French press with a splash of half and half. I’ll get schmancy with a cappuccino lightly dusted with cinnamon or indulge in a yummy caramel macchiato. And I love a straight-up cuppa joe. Coffee is my big weakness. I don’t drink it all day long, but I can’t imagine a day going by without it. I find it comforting and bracing at the same time. If tea is Sherlock Holmes then coffee is Han Solo. Strong, potentially bad for you...but kind of a bad ass.

People tend to be in one camp or the other. So which are you? Coffee? Tea? And if you’re a tea drinker, I’d love some suggestions. I’m always looking to add a little calm (and class!) to mah life.

What's in My Bag?

I've been sporting this Andy Warhol canvas tote. It's sturdy-but-cute and has plenty of room for my jumble of goodies. Here's what's inside:




1. Ze ubiquitous iPhone. I still love it. I hate all those rubber baby buggy bumpers people put on them (ruins the pretty clean lines IMO) but I needed some sort of cute case to lug it around in. This Kate Spade dealie is perfect. The strap makes it tres convenient too.
2. Flower hair clippy. I always have a myriad of hair dealies in my bag.
3. A yellow pony tail holder. 
4. Smooching bunnies makeup holder. I have a little vial of Kai perfume in here as well as assorted lip glosses and chapsticks. Whenever I need a quick spruce up. Safety pins on the zipper pull "just in case".
5. Keys to my car. VW Jetta.
6. Some big white plastic sunnies
7. A pretty letterpress Thank You card from the amazing ladies at Hello Lucky . It's for my mama. I recently went to visit my folks and I have to say my parents are just thee best. Now that I have a child myself I appreciate them even more.
8. My red moleskine notebook. I love molekine books in general but when i saw this red I had to have it. Perfect for jotting down ideas and thoughts.
9. Sanity in a bottle. I'm typically a super even keel person but I was recently struck by my first ever series of panic attacks a few months ago (oddly always while driving. Double eek!). Happily I haven't had one in a while, but this is my emergency stash just in case.
10. Black, fine point pens.
11. Stub for the parking garage.
12. A receipt from the thrift store. As much as I love buying from thrift stores, I love donating too. "Puttin' in back in the system" I always say. Just did a major purge of clothes. Need to do more. OH, and in the top pic you can see my wallet. Marc Jacobs, dark pinkie/orchid leather. Sadly bulging with enough receipts to make George Costanza proud.

Unexpected Style.

I love when you find pretty things in unexpected places. A while back I found this really amazing line of soaps, bath products and candles at Old Navy. The packaging was really gorgeous and graphic—and the fragrances aren’t cloying or artificial, they’re really lovely. Ruby guava, white blossoms, sparkling green tea…they’re all juicy and yummy. I bought the Island Lime reed diffuser and every time I walk into my bathroom it smells like a snazzy spa.

The best part is that the price is utterly affordable. We’re talking 2/$5 soaps people. For some reason you can’t buy them online and they’re not in every Old Navy store—but keep your eyes peeled (they’re usually tucked away by the registers).

 

Salad at sunset.

It’s been hot hot hot here in Northern California so we’ve been eating outside all week and there is really nothing better. The sky turns that amazing golden color and the hot air becomes just a touch cooler. To beat the heat, I bought a big ol tasty watermelon that we’ve been snacking on. A nice slab of crisp, juicy watermelon is just the thing on a hot summery (aka April in San Francisco) day. Last night I decided to experiment and try the watermelon in a salad. It may sound weird (and I definitely got a few nervous looks from the hubs while I was chopping away), but I have to say it was pretty darn tasty. Super refreshing and the perfect touch of sweetness.


Alex’s Sweet Summer Salad
+ salad greens (we used mache from Trader Joe’s)
+ thinly sliced red onions
+ chopped avocado
+ feta cheese, crumbled
+ chopped candied pecans for a lil crunch
+ watermelon
I dressed it in a little balsamic & olive oil salad dressing but you could use whatever you like. YUM!

A fun tidbit about mache. These are the same tender little greens that Rapunzel’s mother craved while she was pregnant. Her husband snuck into the neighbors yard to pluck the sweet leaves for her—of course she turned out to be a witch and imprisoned their daughter in a tower. Not the most neighborly lady, eh?

Swell idea, Sun Chips.

I love Sun Chips. There is nothing nicer than a lil sammie with a side of crunchy, salty chips. And for some reason Sun Chips make me feel as though I'm being a tad healthier than the other chip options out there (even though I'm sure this isn't even remotely true). Anyway, they've been doing some pretty cool things for a chip company. For starters they are slowly transitioning their plants to be solar powered. I love this!

But now they've gone and done things one better. They recently announced that they will be producing all Sun Chips in the first-ever, fully compostable chip bag. I think this is pretty rockin'. "You eat the chips. The earth eats the bag." Not a bad deal if you ask me.

Today's post brought to you by the letter "R"

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Three great little clips to make you think and smile.
Thanks Sesame Street!

Julius Goes Green.

I love Paul Frank, especially Small Paul for lil kids. If you live near a Paul Frank store, be sure to swing by tomorrow to snag a free reusable shopping bag—starring the super cute Julius the Monkey. It's all in honor of Earth Day. Love Yer Mama Earth!

Be nice. It’s fun!

I was in the parking lot of Target the other day and these two women walked by. One of them smiled at me and said “Well don’t you look cute today!” I grinned all the way into the store. It made me realize how awesome compliments are. I can’t lie, I love to get ‘em. But they are also so very fun and easy to hand out. Toss out a little, “Cute shoes!” or “You have the best smile!” next time you pass someone on the street and I guarantee you they’ll have an extra spring in their step. I know this is a little “random acts of kindness”, but I swear it’s soooo easy to do.

Hey! Did I tell you? You look super cute today!

Masked Marvels.

via we heart it

I kind of love masks. Not in a creepy way. I’m talking about those fun little old-timey animal masks with the little elastic band that holds them on. We had a couple of them floating around our house at Wolfie’s birthday and of course all the little girls were drawn to them.



I think there is just something so beautifully mysterious (or is it weirdly cool?) about mixing masks and fashion. The wearer is anonymous and yet immediately has character.

Some pretty masks for your viewing pleasure:


Images by das-N

Image by Todd Baxter for I’m Smitten

The lovely Audrey, in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, of course.


Image by:simaruba
 
Image by Toni Glittzr

Poppin' Fresh.

Wolfie turned five on April 6 and I honestly can’t believe it. It seems like only yesterday he was my lil wolf cub in diapers. The poor boy got screwed last year when it came to his birthday (to recap, we had planned a family trip to Hawaii and were going to bebasking in the sun on the lovely island of Kauai for his birthday. Literally a day before our trip, Aloha Air went out of business, leaving us without a flight. Waaah! We had a tiny gathering of friends at our pad, but didn’t invite his schoolmates or anything.) Sooooo to make up for last year we had a big bash a few weeks ago. We decided to bust out and rent a bouncy house, which I must say is a GENIUS invention….not too expensive and all the kids are corralled in one convenient spot, so parents could actually chat, drink and enjoy themselves!



In a flash of brilliance (and decadence) we decided to also rent a popcorn machine. Unlike most kids, Wolfie doesn’t really like sweets (I mean seriously, it almost makes me question how we could be related. Chocolate? “Yucky.”). His big vice, however is salty stuff. Pretzels. Chips. Popcorn. So I thought a popcorn machine would be a really fun surprise. I wasn't sure if it would be weird but I have to tell you:

It
Was
Awesome.

Kids and grownups couldn’t get enough of it! For some reason it just cranked the entire party up to another level….the smell of yummy buttery popcorn can’t help but make you smile.

I also had a personal triumph because I was FINALLY able to bust out my vintage popcorn baggies. I found a huge stash of them for a steal at a thrift store years ago and Greg completely made fun of me and my obsessive collecting tendancies. “Seriously Alex, do you really need 100 little pop corn baggies?” “But they’re only a quarter!!! And they’re so cuttte! Besides, someday we might really need them.” (it was a stretch, but truly you never do know….over the years I occasionally used them to wrap little gifts, but truth be told I barely made a dent in my little stash.) You know I was insanely triumphant to whip these babies out. I’m pleased to report that not only were the bags a hit, but some people even thought it was our own personal vintage popcorn machine (hah!).

I was torn over the goody bags. They have become such a “thing” lately, and I find so often they're a spendy waste of money. At the same time the kids really do love them....soooo, I ended up buying plain brown lunch bags and snazzed 'em up with a ribbon and a sweet lil birdie rubber stamp. They looked super cute and were really cheap and easy to make! I didn't load the bags up with too much because we literally had a zillion kids and that can get a weeee bit pricey, but I found these awesome whirly gigs at the dollar store (they fly through the air amazingly well), a lollipop ring (huge hit) and some simple dum dums lollies to round things out.




All in all it was a really fun day. Smiles all around, super sunshiney, and yes….the “big people” got to bounce in the bouncy when it was all over. As we sat surveying the popcorn and balloon carnage, my friend Denise and I plotted how next year a margharita machine might be in order as well…