Wanderlust: Italia Edition

"Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti." 

-Sophia Loren

I've written about wanderlust here before but now I've got it bad.  I feel like sitting in LAX and just choosing the first flight I spot on the departures screen (fingers crossed I score Shanghai or Milan and not Springfield or Midland).  

At the moment though, I continually dream of Italia--it happens every year at this time when I recall my last adventures there in 2008.  This yearning was made even more unquenchable after seeing the Wall Street Journal's entire "Off Duty" section was devoted to Italy.  (insert Italianate hand gestures of frustration here)

Brunching: Fig and Ricotta Pancakes

Growing up, the only fig I ever met came in the form of a Newton.  Now in the agricultural paradise known as California, I am lucky to have all varieties of fresh, seasonal produce available for culinary experimentation.  

Each autumn, my hubby consumes vast amounts of figs...usually with a wedge of brie as an evening snack.  So when I saw Tyler Florence's recipe for Spiced Fig and Ricotta Pancakes in the October 2011 issue of House Beautiful, I knew I had to sample the figgy goodness.  

Words to Live by

Flowers for Friday

"There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted."
-Henri Matisse

A Little More Pink for Frenchie

Hello there!  Remember me?  Your ole' pal, Pink Frenchie?  Well, I've been absent from blogland because I was busy making a little human and then birthing/feeding/burping/de-pooping said little human.  Now that my sweet baby Gigi has started to understand the difference between day and night, I will try to write again....sporadically.  

Parisian Poochies

Regular visitors to Paris know that dogs of all varieties seem to have carte blanche in many public spaces.  From restaurants to department stores, from parks to produce markets, les chiens are everywhere in Paris.  

Carrie Bradshaw with one of Paris' lovable dogs

Magic at Midnight

"Imagination creates reality." -Richard Wagner

Today I needed an escape.  I needed to abandon this world and spend a few hours in movie-land.  Even though I was drawn to Midnight in Paris for the promise of a Woody Allen film set in my dear Paris, ultimately, I found the perfect film about escapism and anachronism---precisely what my soul desired after a sad week.

From the outset, I always adore Woody Allen films.  I appreciate the way the crisp clean opening credits tell us the viewers that witty banter and relatable characters are on their way.  And this time, following those trademark simple black and white credits, Allen allowed the real star of the movie to be seen.  There she was, Paris, beautiful Paris, laid out before the screen in iconic shot after iconic shot.  Montmartre. La tour Eiffel. Le Louvre. Les bateaux mouches. Les cafés.  Sigh....cue, the accordion music, I knew from the first scenes, I would be in love with this movie.

From the heart, for the Heartland

“Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration.” -Charles Dickens

 
In recent days, I simply cannot bring myself to write about my usual little pleasures and happy thoughts.  My mind has been in a sad fog since Sunday evening around 7:30 when I learned that my hometown of Joplin, Missouri was decimated by one of the worst natural disasters in American history.  You've no doubt seen the tornado footage on CNN or NBC.  You've probably read newspapers describing the tragedy or heard the first-person accounts. 

Some Little Pleasures for Summertime

Oh, the summer night
Has a smile of light
And she sits on a sapphire throne.
~Barry Cornwall

Non-Californians envision a state of endless summer here in Orange County.  In reality, we have our seasons too (kind of).  They are just a little more subtle.  One of the notorious California "seasons" is the meteorological downer known as "May Gray" and its even more solemn sibling called "June Gloom."  These two months are marked by near constant drizzle and overcast skies.

Since today is quite cool and rainy, I am thinking summer. What can I surround myself with to get in the summer spirit?

Sunday Brunching

I cannot think of a meal I adore more than brunch.  (Well, in my pregnant state, pre-breakfast, second breakfast, big Euro-style lunch and midday snack are close to a tie with brunch).  Brunch means your guests will be fresh off a restful night of slumber.  Brunch means you can prepare much of your meal the evening before. And brunch means you can justify eating both sugary baked goods and eggy-cheesy goodness in the same glorious feast.

Some Little Pleasures

Today here are some things that make me giddily happy, in no particular order:

 swimming pool weather

Art Smart: Troglodyte Treasures

For those of you darlings who may not know, my "day job" is teaching art history to college students.  I adore my career and cannot believe I am among the lucky few who spends her days wandering through the history of Western art (for more on this topic, read my post "Do What You Love" from last year).  

In an attempt to share my passion and knowledge with you, I am going to start a series examining one artwork in detail each week.  My desire is to give you the opportunity to see something visually stunning and to learn a bit about art history in the process.  

The Farm Stand Dinner

"To eat is a necessity, 
but to eat intelligently is an art."
- La Rochefoucauld

Each Sunday evening, my husband and I strive to start the week with a healthy meal.  We find it gets us on the right foot for the week ahead and provides us the energy to greet another day.  

This time of year in Southern California, fresh, flavorful produce is available to us in abundance.  At our local farm stand, we can select organic strawberries straight from the field, sweet corn just plucked from the stock and tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes (imagine that!).

Nuptials Neverending: Cinematic Weddings

"I used to think a wedding was a simple affair. Boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. I was wrong. That's getting married. A wedding is an entirely different proposition." 
- George Banks,  Father of the Bride

As much as I enjoyed the fairy tale of Friday's wedding extravaganza, there is really nothing fresh or inspired I can add to any of the following topics: the dress, the dapper groom, the groom's wily brother, the bride's sleek sister, the fascinators, the less-than-fascinating fascinators, dress #2, or possible honeymoon destinations.  

Guest Post: Misadventures with Andi

Bonjour!  Check out my thoughts on "The Five Senses of Paris" over at Misadventures with Andi!  What an honor to be featured on one of my favorite travel blogs!

Words to Live by: On Contentment

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” -Epicurious

Well, hello, my long lost readers.  I apologize for my lack of posts in recent weeks.  A combination of pregnancy anxiety and work woes has left me with a wicked case of writer's block and ennui. But, I'm back for now, even if sporadically.  

Flowers for Friday

(Ahem, yes, I am aware it is indeed Sunday and not Friday. You must forgive my tardiness.  My brain is in baby-mode, not bloggy-mode.  But at least I got you flowers to apologize.)

I am in a serious ranuculus phase.  On my Friday trips to the market, generally, I can't leave without a bundle of tulips, but these days I am adoring the crinoline ruffles and watercolor hues of these pinkish flowers.

Words to Live by

The Babymoon

Since I became pregnant, one of the top priorities on my pre-infant to-do list was taking a babymoon.  Of course, we have other more pragmatic tasks as we prepare for the wee little Frenchie, but somehow buying strollers and researching birthing options didn't seem nearly as delightful as planning one final getaway as a twosome.  

Home Is Where the Squirrel Is?

“Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to.” 
-John Ed Pearce


When I heard that Tony Bourdain had been traipsing around my hometown in Missouri, I'll admit I cringed a little.  Here was my journalistic hero in the town that had raised me.  I wondered where he'd go and what he'd see.  And most of all, I wondered if he'd be able to get a true sense of Southwest Missouri in a whirlwind shooting spree (both film shoots and hunting shoots as it were) over the course of a few brief days.

A Life on Film

Recently, one of my students brought the work of American photographer Vivian Maier (1926-2009) to my attention.  As I looked through her black and white prints of ordinary life around Chicago, her skill seemed on par with photographs by the greats like Robert Frank and Walker Evans and Dorthea Lange; yet, I had never heard her name.

To Eyre is Human

"I had not intended to love him. I have wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and no, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, green and strong! He made me love him without looking at me." 

Full disclosure Charlotte Brontë fans: I have never read Jane Eyre.  Everything I'm about to state is merely from the point of view of a delighted movie-goer, not a well-versed Brit lit aficionado.

Flowers for Friday

I'm having a case of the blues today, so I'll just post my happy tulips and irises and think good thoughts. No wise words or witty banter pour moi this week, simply flowers will have to do.

Coveting: A Little Vanity

Vanities are the ultimate girly piece of furniture.  What could be more feminine than having a little place to sit as you stack on your bangles or powder your cheeks or spritz your Chanel no. 5? 

The Mythical Cookie

Chocolate chip cookie recipes are closely guarded by grandmas the world over.  Bakers like to keep their favorite close to their heart only to be prepared when needing extra-special culinary oooohhhhs and aaaahhhs from family and friends.