A gift from a friend’s daughter.  Absolutely made my day.

I am probably, by nature, more of a cook. I look at recipes and estimate the ratio that I want to use in my dish…I’ll often omit or add items as the are available or in season.  Don’t be surprised if you are invited to my house and I am trying a recipe for the first time (in spite of the fact that I understand that this is a terrible, terrible idea).  Pizza is always a ready option and I am not shy to admit defeat.  Some experiments fail, afterall.  Things like meat + baked goods…these are things that I’ve learned are best to follow the recipe BY THE BOOK.  While it’s not nearly as FUN, per se, you can’t argue with a tasty treat.

or blueberries in my tin can?   … attached to my pocket?   Eh, anyway.  Today has been the absolute most dreary, so I felt that I needed to switch it up a bit and remember a happy day.

I can’t pretend anymore…fall is definitely here to stay.  In spite of my southern upbringing, I am a terrible liar and  cannot fake excitement over boots and jackets (“bless my heart”).  I’ll readily admit that I am a HUGE DOWNER and already miss the little fragments of summer I got to experience this year.  This photo is one of my favorite summer memories…July 3rd.  One (sunny!) day before what was, quite possibly, the worst Fourth of July of my lifetime.  It had nothing to do with the company or the food…but seriously?  I was in a giant sweatshirt roasting marshmallows.  If you were to look at the photos you would think it was a November evening instead of what should have been one of the most hot + fun days of the summer.

…and with that, I am turning off my pissed-off self and turning on some tunes.  I hope the rest of blog-land is cheery today and can find a way to change my mind about boots.  Have a wonderful weekend!

My travels over the summer did not unfold as originally planned.  I am still fighting a twinge of disappointment, but sometimes ‘life be this way.’  Instead of catching a flight to Europe, I ended up spending a great deal of time on the east coast…so I can’t really complain in the grand scheme of things.  My trusty iPhone was losing power one afternoon [I rely heavily on my GPS when I am traveling alone and without a map!], so I started wandering around aimlessly and came across this tiny French antique/furniture store.  I started photographing the outside of the building and sparked up a conversation with the owner—who was French and judging by the pieces in his store, had AMAZING taste.  We complained about burnt coffee beans [cough, Starbucks, cough] while I looked through the pieces he had stacked from floor to ceiling.  Beautifully crafted post-modern and art deco furniture and art in every corner…enough eye candy to overwhelm me and send me skipping all the way to happy hour.