Top down, tunes up & be carefree!!!!!

As posh as I'd like to imagine myself to be I'm still a delovely girl who hasn't a qualm throwing the top down & blasting the tunes as the weather gets warmer. Yup I've gone from classical to soul. Hailey has always loved jamming. I have fond memories of playing Corinne Bailey Rae every morning before getting ready for kindergarten: her in my arms twirling around, but it was the car that got her going. I introduced her Jill, India, Angie not to mention a bit of the boys too.

I encourage everyone to roll the windows down surrender your hair to a mess & your soul to the best & let the kindergartner rule your week!!! Now giggle & mentally finger paint!!!

From amethyst to wine...purple is fine.

I've always loved the hues with reds & blues that create purple. From garden to kitchen & everywhere in between it makes a statement & for me the deeper the tone the better
Alliums to tulips the hues can anchor, punch or grace a garden. How could you not just adore this flora bunda bounty???

Cuisine. Naturally one thinks of grapes but pies & tarts??? Martha's Concord Grape Tart was my first recipe waaaay back in 1985.

Then I was introduced to kale & broccoli which both are amazing roasted or sauteed with a drizzle of balsamic glaze & olive oil to finish. Oh fresh ground pepper & Maldon salt sprinkled...fabulous!!!!

Remember garlic, egglant & basil...all in purples sauteed together...holy moly!!!
Ironically my favorites are the Italian plums & figs: their deep color on exterior not mirrored inside but still. Figs roasted stuffed with chevre, my mom's German plum cake...yum!!
Using purples in design: usually they end up being lavender like light but again deep tones create impact, proving that urbane sophistication can indeed take the girly girl out of such a traditionally girly shade.Mind you men can & do wear the shade..my fathers Faconnable Tie & Thomas Pink shirt prove it so well.

Then there's my dream Vivienne Westwood dress, the famed D'Orsay Manolos & Chanel's Vendetta sultry on my nails.

A little Hermes never does any harm...

Whichever shade you adore, go for it. There's nothing better than punch & drama when it comes to coloring your life.
Photos courtesy of flickr, House Beautiful, Johner & Veranda

Missing: Lazy Sundays?????

As the years have progress I've become highly aware of what defines progress (aah the irony of such as word) & frankly what has happened to Sundays??

Target is packed, Home Depot forget about it...retail is a buzz. Now don"t get me wrong. I'm not advocating everyone get their rears to pews, religion is a highly personal choice & organized religion even more so, but lazy Sundays, those I'm wondering where they went.

Reading, crossword puzzles, family dinners: just being together at home, even if doing things separately seem to becoming just as extinct as the family dinner. Don't get me started on that, I mean we now have to have PSA to remind to spend time together....horrible.

I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to family & its a damn shame that I'm described as one...traditionalist that is. Its not contemporary??? Okay, okay I'm off topic...

So my challenge for a Sunday or two...turn off the electronics, put away the car keys & just enjoy a Sunday slowly.

By the way..I wrote this on Saturday...I'm on the sofa with the NYT puzzle feeling rather ignorant but challenged & my family is laughing at the woman I am swearing at a folded up newspaper....

Sweet Sundays & all the other that follow.

Easter wishes for you & yours...

Prayers, chocolate bunnies, dinner, breakfast or sunrises services, however you spend your Easter this weekend, I wish you the best times, laughter & candy. Your never too old for egg hunts & Peeps!!!

Happy Easter!!!!

Alicia

Let the music spring in!!!

Having committed Mondays to blogging, naturally my boss begged me yesterday to swap & take next Saturday off. So for now I've taken a few minutes to add my much desired playlist because frankly my life is music.

Music has always been the companion I always counted on: my best friend. Ear buds in I'm never alone. While all forms live in my collection I always turn to classical for purity of reflection & frankly despite the Baby Mozart fad so many wonderful pieces are ignored, so I'm intending to highlight favorites from time to time.

Appalachian Spring is not the first piece everyone turns to for thoughts of the season of rebirth & while Vivaldi is a massive love of mine this ballet turned orchestral suite is a pleasure. Martha Graham commissioned this piece in 1944 & later Copeland revised it for full orchestra. Ironically whilst the ballet was set in spring the spring Copeland is referring to that of a water source.

Well I've turned into a PBS script haven't I??? As high brow as I'd like to pretend I still see Hailey twirling first to the flows & ebbs of this stream of notes. She's 3 years old & telling me its twirly music.

Twirl reccomended but not required. No wait. Every woman should twirl at least once a week. Now........................go!!!

Saveur wants to award Aran & I do too!!!!

While I'm still trying to wrap my head around why the exquisitely talented Aran's Cannelle et Vanille was not nominated for Best Baking & Desserts blog, I can tell you she is nominated in their photography category. This does not surprise me as I've been saying for a long time she should sell her gorgeous tempting images.

I ask of you to vote for her work & hopefully the editors at my favorite foodie magazine will realize next year... her creativity goes beyond the images. Frankly her recipes are exquisite to the tastebuds as well!!!!

Peace, doughnuts & sweetness to all.

True love...

Being the romantic I proudly label myself to be, I must confess that Valentines Day is not a favorite of mine. You may ask how can this be??? Well a tale of 1998 explains it all.

Valentines evening & I was dutifully at my post as Blockbuster manager. A couple came in already in an argument: it seems he got her nothing & she was beyond upset. Movie chosen & at checkout she engaged me...blah, blah blag..am I right??? Well..I asked her...

"Is he horrible to you???"

"No" came out & boy was she confused.

"Does he cheat? Beat you? Treat you without respect??? "

"No, no, no he's great."

"Then what do you need a card for on one day, when he reminds you all the time????"
Her face softened, he told me I was his new favorite person & together they went off to watch their movie with popcorn.

Valentines Day was created by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD to express love in a time of no Red Envelope, Hallmark, EHarmony, FTD: you name all the nonsense we obsess over, it simply did not exist. I've seen single girlfriends depressed on the 14th that they have no date, no flowers, no nick nacks instead of focusing on the love of friends & family. I've witnessed men running around like a chicken with their heads cut off in a drugstore on the 14th buying teddy bears & the card no one else wanted because they forgot & dread going home empty handed. A coworker once went to tears when he husband sent a great plant basket for her desk & not a dozen red roses, which for me is passe. All this drama. All for what????Expressing love, true love has nothing to do with all the disposable melamine, fluffy animals , sugar concocted offerings the retail world is trying to force down your psyche as a requirement not a testament. True love is giving of yourself to create a feeling of safety, contentment & peace in another for always not merely the 14th day of February. There's not a solitary material item that can express this: its a lifetime journey of humanity. This is true romance, true love.

Wishing you true love everyday.

Images courtesy of the genius Michelle Rago