THANKSGIVING.

Elizabeth & Jeffrey are having a girl.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Holla.

Sam is modeling one of her new gifts on her head.

I spent the better part of last week in NYC. The big event was a delicious baby shower (think lots of wine, calamari, hand stretched pizzas, salmon & tiramisu from Celeste, a phenomenal Italian place on the Upper West Side). My friend glowed and rocked wonderful white bangle bracelets from India and a eight month plus belly. Her guests rocked various black ensembles, minus Genevieve in a terrific floral frock, partially inspired by a certain flower dress that is no longer with us. Vintage diamond rings were shown off and a good time was had by all. Congratulations Samantha & Sonia. Can't wait!

Antique diamond rings go great with Italian food.

Rose Cookie.

                                                                

Malted Milk Cookie.

The bag the cookies come in.

While in NY, I ate delicious miniature trio of cookies ("rose", "malted milk", and "exotic seduction" from my very favorite cookie shop, Ruby et Violette. What I have to say about this is simple: I will not stop until I can share with you the rose & "exotic seduction" cookie recipes. Think lots of curry and dark chocolate in the "exotic" treat. Besides cookies, I got some thrifting in at some of my old, beloved haunts, including the Salvation Army in Hell's Kitchen and St Frances on 96th. Found treasures include a vintage French blouse, a long sleeved tight yellow Gap piece and a set of shot glasses with sweet, etched rims.  Not sure what I'm going to do with the glasses, as I'm not much of a shot girl, but I'll figure it out and let you know.

This is a delightful and important cookie.
"Exotic Seduction"

Beppino Occelli butter, oh oh so pretty.   At Eataly, I thought about buying this extremely expensive butter because the packaging was so beautful it stopped my heart, but decided even I can't be that frivolous and settled happily for pretty little pastilles.  Notice the brackets and wonderful folding on the seams of the back of the butter.                                                                                             

So smart looking.

Expensive.

Just great.

greetings birthday girl.

Happy birthday...

wish we were in blue dresses about to eat birthday cake right now.

Da darling friday love

Titled:

Easter 1963, Two Small People At Siringo Rondo South

Photo by Willie C (flickr)

grey dresses with yellow flowers

These pictures were pulled from somewhere, but I'm not sure where (whoopsa daisy).  I keep thinking I'll figure out where I found them in order to share them with you, so I've never posted them, but I'm stepping out boldly and forgoing the niceties of giving people credit. So here are pretty flowers & frocks and I have no idea where they're from.  The first picture, I'm interested in the textures and general gorgeous ness of the bouquet and the second picture is just such a perfect dress.  If you're having a gloomy Thursday, maybe these pictures will cheer you up.   

Great Blouse, Great Braids.

Photo by Marcio Madeira

This is from Alexis Mabille’s couture show last year.  

The styling is wonderful; I LOVE the 

smoothed down look & straight on middle part of her hair paired with the 

brown ribbon wrapping and the random purple flower poking out.  

Also, LOVE the nude color of the blouse

& sailboats with waves and clouds. Wonderful stuff.

last night's dinner party

My friend's long distance boyfriend surprised her with a Friday night fly in.  I've been dying to re connect with a dear & pretty high school classmate.  My sister & brother in law drove up from Oregon for the weekend.  I hadn't worn my enormous fake diamond swoop earrings in a while.  My husband brought home enough chocolate gelato to share.  Time for a dinner party, Friday night style.  

I love my "A" cocktail napkins.

Dan at dinner table

The main course was a kitchen sink style pasta with portabello mushrooms, garlic, bacon and parmesan, among other things.  I'm always happy when I go for fresh pasta, like I did this time.  Worth it.  Also, I roasted carrots, grapes, brussel sprouts, onions and apples with wine and butter.  In my nit picking, I would say that the execution of the food wasn't completely there but the company was swell and Stevie Wonder did a great job as background noise.  Highlights include accepting a gorgeous hostess gift of home made rum infusion with lavender & tangerine (tied to it's cool glass bottle with a Hermes ribbon, thank you Meredith), cutting the bottom of my foot on my rug & having it bleed to the point of me having to wrap my foot (what?! how does one cut their foot on a rug?) and watching Dan shake beautiful cold cocktails with fresh ginger and whiskey.

.

The appetizer was puffs of pastry with ginger jelly & capers & soft cheese

Hostess gift -- totally perf.

Sweet newlyweds digesting dinner on the sofa.

Me wearing some bling.

beets & radishes & tomato "salad"

FRIDAY FRIDGE LOVE

The fridge is "the place".  It's a great little cold container & I just love putting stuff inside & outside of it ...

Thoughtfully Presented Vegetables For Sale.

pics from PCC Natural Market

Freemont Store

Pretty Girl with Perfect Lips.

Oh, Beyonce.  I think your pink lips are just perfect.

(and I love the real ness of your left knee cap, if that makes sense ...)

Obsessed with Cassata Cake



Photo Courtesy of CreampuffsinVenice

 Obsessed.  I would like a piece of cassata cake & a cup of espresso & the November Vogue right now.  Cassata is a very cool word for a sweet Italian sponge confection puffed up with some sort of filling & often dressed with nuts and candied fruits.  Seattle's Columbia City Bakery makes their cassata with multiple layers of white cake brushed with Marsala wine, tricked out with an orange flower-scented ricotta filling and covered in a thin sheet of almond paste. Ummm, yes.  Yes, yes.  Please enter my mouth now.  Here is a link to a recipe that looks pretty straight forward, though I haven't yet tried it: CASSATA CAKE.     I want to become a little Cassata baker: the girl that brings it to her neighbor's birthday party, decorated offbeat with Italian inspired pastel dots & funny vintage plastic pieces.  (Also, wouldn't it be a lovely / different sweet for this holiday season?!  It seems so much more original than cupcakes or tiramisu or pumpkin tart.)  

Vote Tmrw. xxo

Carmen Lizardo's
Self Portrait with pink dress with green frame (American Flag series)