Let's Face the Music and Dance - Irving Berlin

There may be trouble ahead
But while there's music and moonlight and love and romance
Let's face the music and dance

Before the fiddlers have fled
Before they ask us to pay the bill and while we still have the chance
Let's face the music and dance

Soon we'll be without the moon, humming a different tune and then
There may be teardrops to shed
So while there's moonlight and music and love and romance
Let's face the music and dance

But I Don't Want to Clean the Kitchen!

One of the great things about being a grown up is, I can eat whatever I want for dinner without an adult telling me, “that’s not dinner!” You know what mean; chips and salsa, popcorn, hummus and pita chips; finished off with a hefty serving of caramel praline ice cream.

I’m aware that snacks are not substantial meals, but I only eat them for dinner occasionally. And the reason is not necessarily that I’m craving snack food; it’s because I don’t want to clean up the kitchen afterwards!

There’s nothing more intimidating than a sink full of dirty dishes staring me in the face, when all I want to do is relax, read a book, or watch TV. And since I don’t have kids with nutritional needs in the house anymore, why not snack?

Of course, I have nutritional needs too, so I’m not talking about snacking for dinner every night. Maybe just once a week, on my favorite HGTV night. And I’ve figured out a few ways to add a little substance to my snack food repertoire that require minimal preparation, without destroying the kitchen…

1. Heat up a Lean Cuisine pizza in the microwave. (cook it on the box and then throw the box away…no dirty dishes) Enjoy it with a small bowl of raw veggies. I keep air-tight containers of raw veggies and fruits in my fridge at all times, so they’re ready to go.
2. A wedge of brie cheese with some peppered water crackers, a sliced apple, a handful of grapes, and a small piece of dark chocolate. Yummy!
3. When in season, wrap chunks of cantaloupe or melon with thin slices of Proscuitto. Have it with slices of fresh baguette drizzled with a little olive oil.
4. When in season, put tomato slices on slices of baguette, with chunks of soft mozzarella cheese, topped off with a drizzle of olive oil, and a few twists of cracked black pepper and a dash of sea salt.
5. Scramble eggs with grated cheese, and spread peanut butter or Nutella on a toaster waffle. One dirty skillet…it’s an easy clean up.
6. Cereal. I love Rice Chex and Special K, jazzed up with nuts, seeds, berries, and dried fruit, with almond milk. 
7. A smoothie, made with a cup of frozen berries, half of a frozen banana, a cup of orange/mango juice,  a blob of plain yogurt, and enough almond milk to make it drinkable through a straw. Yes, it does dirty up a measuring cup and the blender, but I just rinse them out and put them in the dishwasher immediately. Easy-peasy…
8. When I have hummus and pita chips, I like to drizzle the hummus with a little olive oil, and add a handful of Kalamata olives and a big glass of low-sodium V-8 juice.

And then sometimes, I just want to eat salsa and chips, popcorn, ice cream; or maybe even cake. And since I’m a grown up, who’s gonna to stop me?

Lust-worthy Kitchen

Kitchen freak that I am, I'm seriously lusting after this eclectic kitchen in the Primrose Hill London home belonging to talented photographer and designer Paul Massey. Gleaming white subway tile; interestingly mismatched rustic and modern cabinets; open storage shelving; high ceilings; lots of natural light; and of course, a white SMEG refrigerator. It's just about perfect!

See more of this fabulous home | here | at estmagazine.com

Weekend Inspiration #8

Photo by Emily Johnston

Emily Johnston is one of my favorite photographers.  Check out her website |here| and see more of her work |here| on Instagram

Quote of the Week - Chinese Proverb

Bikers, motorcycles, and walking home late at night...

I've had two encounters with bikers in my life...both when I was much younger. Coincidently, both of these stories involve being stranded and having to walk home late at night, and motorcycles...

The first one came to town, and got a job as a bouncer in the bar where I hung out with my friends. The story going around was that he had just gotten out of prison for killing someone, and that he carried a gun. Everyone was terrified of him. One night when I was leaving the bar, my car wouldn't start, so I decided to walk home. As I walked away, he rode up beside me on his Harley and said, "get on." We had never even spoken to each other before; but I did. Walking home late at night wasn't that appealing, and I'd never ridden on a motorcycle; it would be an adventure. He didn't ask where I lived...we just took off. We went to another bar, and had a couple of beers. He didn't talk a lot. 

Afterwards, we went to his place. By then, it was about three a.m. We sat on the front steps, quietly, just looking at the stars. I was kind of scared, because I wasn't sure what he had in mind. In my nervousness, I blurted out, "did you really kill somebody?" He just looked at me with this stone face, and said "NO." I breathed a sigh of relief. Then he said, "I just TRIED to kill him." He smiled, and we both started laughing. He never told me if it was true, and I certainly was not going to ask.:) 

We went inside to the kitchen, and he made some coffee. He had a lot of books about Zen Buddhism. We talked a bit, and he was quite articulate. We became kind of friends, but never actually dated. I was one of the few people he ever talked to. He was only in town for a couple of months; then one day he just disappeared, and no one ever saw or heard from him again. 

My second biker encounter was with a guy named Bear. (not the name his mom gave him) He was a Cajun from "a swamp town in Louisiana..." 

One evening, I had a dinner date with a handsome, well-to-do investment banker. It was our first date. He turned out to be quite arrogant and egotistical. When he suggested that I was extremely lucky to have garnered his attention, and implied that I should spend the rest of the evening reimbursing him for dinner at his place, I told him that I was not sleeping with him on our first date...or probably ever. He was angry, excused himself to go to the restroom, and never came back; leaving me with the tab. The waiter was understanding, and just brought me another drink. 

Unfortunately, I didn't hold liquor well, and when I left, I was a little tipsy; and I had to walk home. My date's car was in the parking lot. (There were a lot of bars and restaurants in the area, so he was still around somewhere) In my altered state, I decided I was going to slash one of his tires. (He had a new Mercedes convertible) Crazy, right? 

I went back inside, grabbed a steak knife off of a table, went back to his car, sat on the ground, and started sawing at the tire. I discovered that puncturing a tire with a steak knife is really hard.:) I began to cry. 

Suddenly, I realized that I wasn't alone. I looked up, and this big, burly, tattooed, Cajun guy was standing over me. "What are you doing, little lady?" he asked. I told him my story. He reached down, pulled me to my feet, took the steak knife away from me, and tossed it in the bushes. "You need this," he said, as he pulled a huge switchblade out of his boot. I watched in horror (and possibly a little glee) as he walked around the car, and effortlessly popped all four tires. Then he gave me a ride home on the back of his motorcycle. He was on his way to Chicago to visit friends, and asked if I wanted to go; but I declined his invitation. However, we stayed in touch and remained friends throughout the years. He passed away a few years ago.

Chelsea Loft

[Photography by Fran Parente for Casa Vogue.]

When it comes to home decor, I am a minimalist at heart. I have a very bohemian spirit, and after years of moving around from city to city, I've learned to eliminate clutter, hanging on to just the necessities, and the things I truly love. 

Give me a mattress on the floor, with rumpled, high quality white French linens, down pillows, and a natural fiber blanket; a set of Wusthof knives and a few pots and pans; some good quality coffee and tea; and a gazillion books, and I'm a happy camper.

That being said, I love this colorful, eclectic Chelsea loft. Brazilian artist Hussein Jarouche visits New York four times a year, and this loft, designed by Ana Strumpf is his home away from home. Jarouche is the owner of Micasa, a furniture and object store in Sao Paulo. 

If I was going to settle down and collect art and interesting stuff, my place might look like this...

See more photos | here| at yellowtrace.com

Weekend Inspiration #7

photo via Laure Joliet Photography

Los Angeles based photographer Laure Joliet is one of my favorite photographers of spaces and places. Check out her amazing website | here | 

Quote for the Week - David Lynch

David Lynch, photo via moviepilot.com

Negativity is the enemy of creativity.

- David Lynch

Anger - Don't Stuff It

Right now, I'm reading Anger/Wisdom for Cooling the Flames, by Thich Nhat Hanh. I've read several of his books, and always find them interesting, well written, and thought provoking...

Check out the book | here |

Of all of the "negative" emotions on my radar, anger is the one that is most problematic. Why? Because I don't like to experience negative emotions. Does anyone? So, I "stuff" them; try to pep-talk them down off the ledge; wake up every morning, put on my "happy face," and attempt to go about my business like nothing is wrong; like Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider) in All That Jazz. Remember? "It's Showtime!"

Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider)  in All That Jazz

However, sometimes, I'm just not all that happy. Sometimes, I'm tired, sad, depressed, frustrated, anxious, or stressed out. Putting on a happy face can only go so far in disguising those feelings. Occasionally, with very little warning, they boil over, and I'm angry. A.N.G.R.Y. It's never pretty...

Dealing with anger, or any other negative feelings, takes practice; it requires self-awareness, honesty, and compassion; always compassion. Because the last thing you need when you already feel bad is to take a beating from yourself.

While I don't think I can realistically banish negative emotions from my repertoire, my hope is to identify underlying issues that simmer indefinitely and erupt into anger, and then defuse them before things gets ugly. 

Think positive! xoxo C

It's Beautiful Here

Amalfi Coast, by Georgia Hopkins - image via itsbeautifulhere.com

After graduation, thirty four year old Aussie, Georgia Hopkins, set out on a two year adventure to travel the world with friends. Last year she created a blog to document her travels, called It's Beautiful Here. All of the original photography for the travelogue is by Georgia, and it is stunning. It's Beautiful Here has quickly become one of my favorite escapes into interesting places and exotic locales.

Check it out | here | You'll be hooked!

Ojai, by Georgia Hopkins - image via itsbeautifulhere.com

Weekend Inspiration #6

image via savvycityfarmer.com

Quote of the Week - Maya Angelou

A wise woman wishes to be no one's enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone's victim.
- Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou - image via goodreads.com

Who Needs Other People?

I've often wondered what it would be like for a person to live a solitary life, away from other human beings, from a very young age. For instance, suppose a baby survived a deadly plane crash that killed his parents, and all of the other passengers; the plane went down in a remote forest in central Africa; and the child was rescued by a small community of primates and raised as one of their own; like Tarzan. I'm not sure if gorillas will actually do that, but for the sake of discussion, let's go with it...

With no human interaction, it is unlikely that the child would ever read, write, or communicate in a language that another human being could understand. Like the apes, he would probably eat bamboo shoots and termites; and never learn to cook. If he wore clothing at all, it would most likely be crudely constructed for warm or protection, with no regard for style.

Without exposure to civilized cultures, languages, trends, concepts, and ideas, he would grow up implementing the same primitive skills, resources, and forms of communication that the apes used. In the period of a lifetime, his superior intelligence might advance him slightly farther than his adoptive family, but it is unlikely that he would ever live a lifestyle that remotely resembled that of an educated, socialized human being.

So it seems that we are what we are, primarily because of the influence of other human beings. I know, it is disheartening to realize that you almost certainly would not have gotten this far in life without the input of literally thousands of people. But look at the bright side; you don't have to eat bamboo shoots and termites...

Eliminate the Negative

As I mentioned earlier, I don't make New Year's Resolutions, because I can't handle the pressure of living up to my unrealistic standards of excellence.

However this year, there is one thing in particular that I want to stand up to -

Letting negativity creep into my life.

Have you ever noticed how negativity is insidious? It seems harmless enough, disguised as "realistic" or "logical." But then it sneaks up on you and BAM! Suddenly the world is an ugly place; everyone is evil; life sucks...

And indeed, the world can be hostile and scary at times. Often a little levity is greatly needed. So my goal this year (and all future years) is to see negativity coming and nip in the bud; pummel it with a little positivity; slap it with a sense of humor; make mole-hills out of mountains. 

Negativity...you have met your match! 

Sunrise - Percy Priest Lake, Nashville TN

photo by Carol McNeill

photo by Carol McNeill

Camberwell Home, by Doherty Design Studio

photo by Armelle Habib

I am an avid fan of Australian interior design. Fresh; Casual, but not sloppy; Minimal, but not sparse. It's a little bit California modern with a dash of Parisian sophistication; but uniquely Australian. See more of the Camberwell home, by Doherty Design Studio | here | at est magazine-global living with an Australian twist.   

Quote of the Week - So True!

image via theilovedogssite.com

Wiggle Butt Tee Shirt $19-$21 - Get it | here |
Check out The I Love Dogs Site | here |

Happy New Year!!!

Ahhh, a new year; a clean slate; a fresh beginning. On the other hand; high hopes; unrealistic expectations; and the inevitable disappointment, when you realize that you're still the same person you were last year. After a few weeks (or hours) on a new diet; or the latest exercise craze; or an ambitious plan to re-organize your life, your finances, your house, and your wardrobe, you will snap out of it and be you again; and then the self-loathing will start...

THAT is why I don't believe in making New Year's Resolutions. We don't need to introduce more stress and anxiety into our lives. 

What we need is to give ourselves a break; ditch the rigid, self-defeating, rules; feel great about ourselves when we shine; and hug ourselves when we fall short of our goals. Our dogs love us regardless of our failures and shortcomings; I think we should give ourselves the same unconditional love and compassion that they do. 

I'm not saying give up and be a total loser; there is always room for a few tweaks here and there; and beginning new, exciting projects and setting realistic goals keeps us on our toes. 

But life isn't always easy; so lighten up. No one really cares if your socks don't match; or that your triceps are a little flabby. And if you bring a red velvet cake shaped like your boss to the next office party instead of a plate of carrot sticks and low-fat dip, you'll secretly be everyone's hero...

Looking forward to 2015!

xoxo C

May the New Year bring you courage to break your resolutions early! My own plan is to swear off every kind of virtue, so that I triumph even when I fall! 
― Aleister Crowley, Moonchild