We’re headed to warmer weather for Easter Sunday! Which is great, because it’s giving me a taste of what it feels like to wear spring clothing. Above is a sample from my spring “uniform” that is making the trip. Still have to decide on shoes.
Vince clothing, photo from Saks.com
I’m also badly craving this outfit that I spotted in the Saks catalog over the weekend. It is so adorable, and very much in line with the uniform. Mix and match; ready to go. On Wednesday, I decided I had to have it for this weekend. That is Not Going To Happen. But next week, I’m headed into my local Saks to try it on and hopefully, take it home. The fact that I cannot have it right now is only making me want it more. Can you relate?
And finally, have any of you checked out MyStarbucksIdea yet? I am looking forward to reading through the suggestions and comments. I don’t have any ideas as of now, but I’m sure that other people’s comments will inspire me. I’m always thinking of ways to “fix” other businesses, so this site is appealing to me.
See you tomorrow with the Five and then it’s off for a few days to enjoy Spring Break.
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My sister told me a while ago that Chicago has never had a March where it failed to reach 70. I say, get ready for the exception: March 2008. It snowed for a bit on Monday, and Tuesday was drizzly and cold. Makes you want to start walking south.
Easter arrives on Sunday regardless of what the thermometer says. The sugar egg above is “vintage”. I discovered it yesterday wrapped in tissue while cleaning out the office closet. I think sugar eggs are so darling. And the morning (lack of) light really highlighted the yellow.
photo from marthastewart.com
We aren’t hosting Easter dinner. But if we were, I would totally be making these bunny cookies. (Did you see them in the March issue of Martha Stewart Living?) I was searching for a similar shaped cookie cutter, and I really like this option, should you be planning for Easter ’09, or perhaps an upcoming baby shower. It’s also available at cookiecutter.com, in tin, but I prefer copper purely for aesthetics.
photo from bakedideas.com
I must be on a Martha kick, because I also spotted these adorable bunny cookies at the Baked Ideas website last week. All of the cookies have great color and detail, and I love the Peter Rabbit theme. It’s perfect. I also love these. Hmmm, wonder why? I think that I learned about Baked Ideas when it was featured in the first issue of Martha Stewart Living. (Just got back from checking this out: yep, Baked Ideas and Patti Paige are featured in the “Cookies for the Children” feature. And Ina Garten was also profiled! That Martha knows her stuff. I will not be throwing out that issue any time soon.) Check out more at bakedideas.com.
Thanks for playing virtual baker with me today! Until tomorrow, then …..
But first, congratulations, leah charonneau! You are the winner of this week’s giveaway. Please send me an email with your mailing address and I’ll get the notes and placecards in the mail.
I am in a crabby mood. Chalk it up to the dentist (today, anyway). I was in for an onlay, which as far as I can tell means “We are going to drill your tooth for a while and then we will add stuff so that your new tooth feels absolutely nothing like the old one, so get used to it.” Yes, I am old. And don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for my dentist, and his staff, and the existence of dental care. I just find the experience incredibly depressing. Have you seen the ads in magazines with people who have had their smile recreated, and they’re so happy in the “after” picture, with big smiles and perfect teeth? I wonder if they’re really happy. Yep, I’m crabby.
But it’s not a total loss. I do have three new beauty products to share with you, that I’ve added to the hall of fame. I discovered each during our February trip to San Francisco, and since I’ve been on product “lock down” as I try to get control of the medicine chest, these truly are stand outs:
- Josie Maran lipgloss in Joie de Vivre It looks quite red in the tube, doesn’t it? But it’s such a sheer, gorgeous natural pinky red gloss. I love it. And it has a wonderful vanilla scent. And the packaging is recyclable, or biodegradable. I bought mine at Barney’s San Francisco, but you can also check out the entire line at josiemarancosmetics.com. Bonus! As of this writing, there’s free standard shipping with a $45 order.
- Le Labo fragrance in Neroli 36 I tested this fragrance while at Barneys SF, and then ordered it when we got home. I think it is heavenly! Although neroli is the essence of orange blossom, it reminds me of the beach. I bought the balm version, which is supposed to be more subtle/personal. No headaches, which for me is huge. I’m trying Ambrette 9 next.
- SpaRitual polish in Life of Leisure For me, this is the perfect neutral polish. I picked it out for my pedicure at the Carneros Inn, and once again, ordered a bottle when we got home. I’m slowly getting out of the nail polish game. I used to be all about pink fingernails and pink or red toenails. Now, it’s buff the fingers, and neutral for the toes. It works. I like this color so much that I didn’t even cringe when I saw Real Simple’s April issue and its guide to the perfect neutral polish. Wow. It must be love.
You know, just typing this post lifted my crabby mood a bit. Thanks for reading. See you back here tomorrow!
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Busy weekend. I am a house nut, constantly reading the real estate section, planning moves, or alternatively, plotting out renovations for our current home. (and by the way, we’ve been here for over 8 years, so I’m mostly talk) We are gearing up for a kitchen renovation, though, which meant that I had to go for one last weekend of “maybe we should move instead.” Uh, no. We’re staying. The house we walked through yesterday was a renovation/new construction, and was cute but yet insane, i.e. the brand new master bedroom’s doorway was so narrow that I defy the eventual owners to get any furniture in that room!
Okay, off topic, once again. I’ve found a new blog to add to Google reader and also to my sidebar of “you should visit”. Brown Turtleneck Sweater is a Chicago-based design blog that I discovered through Sunday’s Chicago Tribune Magazine. And I’m so glad that I did, because her taste is so similar to mine (the Cottage Living bedroom I drooled over! the Country Living feature on C.Keith that I’d ripped out to save!) that I’m eagerly awaiting her insight on what I should be noticing. You really ought to check it out. It’s chock-full of inspiring photos.
See you tomorrow ….. I have a lot to read, as I just discovered this blog, and the entries go back to June ’07 August ’06! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
The photo above is from our dining room – I was playing around with the camera indoors (again – yep, it’s back to cold).
Ready for another giveaway? This week’s feature is a set of six letterpress notes (approx 3.75″ x 7.5″), titled “Queries and Replies” from Typographie, as well as a set of twenty fork, knife, and spoon placecards from Pottery Barn. (note: the Pottery Barn package is not sealed, but all 20 placecards are included, in perfect condition)
Interested? Here are the rules: leave a comment (no anonymous) at this post before 11:59 pm cdt Monday, March 17. I’ll draw one name from the comments and post the winner in Wednesday’s blog entry. The winner is responsible for contacting me and providing a shipping address.
That said, this is my final plea to last week’s winner. Moonmaiden, I have yet to hear from you. If I do not receive an email by 11:59 pm cdt Monday, March 17 with your mailing instructions, I will draw a new winner from the remaining comments in the Clucky Giveaway.
Good luck to all!
