A couple birthday treats

Here are a couple birthday treats I'd like to share with you: beautiful peridot earrings (my birthstone) that are my new favorite pieces of jewelry, and the new Prada perfume, L'Eau Ambree, which has notes of amber, patchouli, vanilla and opoponax and smells delightful. It's warm, yet a bit spicy and surprisingly more subtle than what I've come to expect from amber scents. I've been wearing it non-stop since it arrived on my doorstep, creating a happy fragrance memory that will forever link the amber scent with my 28th birthday.


Can you tell that I'm rather obsessed with birthdays? I can't help it, it's been ingrained in my childhood and hasn't really gone away. I look at birthdays as not just another year of getting older, but rather as another year to learn new things, to strive for a better, simpler life, to be adventurous and generous and happy and grateful for everything I've experienced and everything that has yet to come my way. What's not to get excited about?

Christmas Roundup

First and foremost, I sincerely hope that anyone who happens upon this blog (and admittedly, there aren’t a lot of you, but that's beyond the scope of why I started it in the first place; a big thank you to everyone who stops by!) truly had a merry and bright Christmas. The holiday season can leave a lot to be desired, but I hope you were able to find some joy amidst the madness. I certainly did. Enjoy the madness, that is. On Christmas Eve, feeling very disgruntled that I didn’t get the day off, I arrived at work and made the genius move of locking my keys in the car (nice one, Joanna!), but thankfully the situation was quickly and easily resolved with a little help from AAA. Hallelujah. In an effort to abate the tension brought on from that little situation, I decided to treat myself to a manicure. I chose a gunmetal, Dickensian sort of color (particularly apt at this time of year, methinks) as an alternative to the typical holiday red. I loved the end result, but achieving it literally meant waiting for paint to dry. BORING.

But the main Christmas Eve event was introducing the boyfriend to my family over dinner. Despite feeling slightly on edge about it going in—I have a very sarcastic and lively family who love nothing better than pushing other people’s buttons—I think on the whole it went very well. Though I suspect the vodka water and multiple glasses of red wine I consumed might have helped. As did this citrus-glazed ahi tuna.

The boyfriend and I finished up the eve at the charming Bar Chloe in Santa Monica. Festive twinkle lights were hung as a nod to the holiday and lent a quiet ambience, and I found it to be an altogether relaxing, and dare I say, civilized, end to a rather eventful day.

Christmas day was spent eating, opening presents, eating, taking a catnap, and eating some more (the goat cheese-stuffed bell peppers and peppermint bark were highlights). To top it off, Santa brought me a pair of incredibly warm and cozy UGG boots (he knew I was a fan way before they were ever considered trendy).

He also brought me a cookbook by that empress of domesticity, Martha Stewart. He must know that I've been meaning to cook more. Thanks, Santa! These photos are making me hungry.

Overall, I think my favorite part of Christmas was receiving the myriad holiday cards from friends and family. To me, these notes of good cheer and health and happiness are what Christmas is all about. Happy Holidays!