31

When you're lucky enough to wake up on your birthday to a hooting owl and an oh-so-chic brown box from one Louis Vuitton, you know it's not going to be an ordinary day. I'd say this birthday is already one for the history books. That fiancé of mine sure is a keeper.

Happy Birthday, T

On Saturday I threw a little birthday soiree for T. It was a swinging success, for many reasons, but not least of which was this red velvet cake with buttercream icing and cream cheese filling from my favorite bakery, SusieCakes. It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious and an absolute hit. Oh, SusieCakes, you can do no wrong in my eyes.

P.S. How amazing do these turkey frosted sugar cookies look? And that pumpkin pie! Be still, my beating heart.

{Bottom two images from SusieCakes}

30

Tomorrow is my 30th birthday (talk about a milestone). There's something about entering a new decade that sort of stops you in your tracks a little bit. It's the ideal time for reflection and rumination, for thinking about goals and dreams not yet achieved. It's tempting to get caught up in the past and dream/worry about what's to come. And there is plenty of time for all that self-evaulation and planning. But right now I think I'll just sit here and enjoy a slice of decadent birthday cake and be grateful that I've made it this far, alive and pretty darn happy to boot. What more could a girl ask for?

{Image of Marilyn on her own 30th birthday from This is Marilyn}

Birthday Owl

So my birthday is in 11 days (and it's a big one). What are the chances of one of my friends sending me this owl birthday card? Good, very good, or slim to none? I guess I'll soon find out! This darling owl comes courtesy of Sycamore Street Press, one of my new (to me, anyway) favorite letterpress companies. They happen to be looking for an intern at the moment; the job sounds like a blast and would be perfect for anyone with a letterpress fetish (like yours truly). If only I lived in a gorgeous mountain valley town like Heber City, Utah. Le sigh.

{Image via Sycamore Street Press}

Birthday Gift for Virgo

Look what the fine folks from Anthropologie just sent me: a 15% off card featuring a beautiful depiction of the Virgo zodiac, just because it's my birthday month (the big day is the 29th). Such a delightful thing to receive in the mail! Anthro, you've really stepped it up this year.

50 never looked so good

Today George Clooney turns 50. He's half a century old, and yet still as handsome, charming, graceful and dapper as ever. This man gives new meaning to the maxim "getting better with age". Happy Birthday, big boy.

{Image via here}

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen

Today marks the 235th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, and to celebrate, Google UK has featured this nifty doodle on their homepage. How cool is that? The scene above looks an awful lot like this one. Happy 235th Birthday, Jane Austen! You don't look a day over 234, my dear.

Birthday Twin

95 years ago today this beauty was born.

And 29 years ago today so was I. I’m delighted to share a birthday with you, Ms. Bergman. Now if only I could be half as talented, elegant, witty, and all-around-cool as you, my life would be complete.

{Image via here}

Birthday musings: things I want

Alas, my birthday is on the horizon. And not just any birthday. My golden birthday. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, fear not, because apparently you're not the only one. It appears that the golden birthday phenomenon hasn't quite taken root seeing that I've had to explain the concept more times than I would have thought necessary (I have my mother, from whom I first learned the term, to thank for that). Basically, a golden birthday is when a person turns the age of their birth day. So in my case, I will be 29 years old on the 29th of August. See how that works? Kind of nifty, right?

It's a happy, exciting time of year for me. Not only am I celebrating turning another year older (and, dare I say, wiser?), but I am also celebrating the start of my all-time favorite season of the year: the crispness of new beginnings that is autumn. As is often the case during this time of year, when we find ourselves at the precipice of one season and looking forward to the next, I like to make a list of goals and things I plan to accomplish in the year ahead (as well as contemplate all that I've learned and accomplished over the past twelve months). I also like to make a wish list of things I flat out covet and want in my life. If money were no object, of course. I can't think of a more ideal condition in which to shop and dream...

Blame the back-to-school feeling that hangs in the air as August draws to a close, that sense of newness and scholarly pursuits and learning that inspires me so, because every year at this time I want a new handbag. And this messenger bag evokes all those stirring autumnal feelings for me.

I already own a plethora of nautical tees (they're just so clean and fresh and very French, no?), but I can always make room for one more. Especially for one this adorable.

I've grown tired of reaching for my blackberry whenever I want to ascertain the time. If I had this oversized watch from Omega to call my own, checking the time would be a pleasure and maybe even the highlight of my day.

I've had my heart set on these darling alphabet earrings for quite some time now. And I think the time has come for them to be mine at last.

A cozy pair of nubby socks would make those chilly autumnal nights that much warmer. I remember a scene from one of the Harry Potter books in which Dumbledore confesses that what he most desires in all the world is a pair of thick woolen socks. I totally get what you mean, Dumbledore.

I heavily rely on scarves when the thermostat takes a nosedive, or any other time for that matter. They just elevate an outfit like nothing else. And the label behind this lovely number takes my breath away.

I don't think Jonathan Adler could be any cooler if he tried. And without a doubt my life would be so much better if I had this owl sculpture to look at every day.

Shop and dream....shop and dream....

More photos from Santa Barbara

As promised, here are some more photos of T's birthday sojourn in Santa Barbara. The entire trip was all about sun, sea, and relaxation, with a little sparkling wine thrown in for good measure. I even got to try something completely new for me (but not for T, apparently he's a pro): horseback riding! I can't believe they let such a neophyte on a live animal. But I got the hang of it. Eventually. And I even enjoyed it and would do it again. Yay!


Now here I am little bit more in my element: lounging ocean-side at the Coral Casino, a membership-only health club open to Four Seasons guests. Except where did I place my book and glass of bubbly?

The path leading up to our tucked away, cottage-like room at The Four Seasons, our home away from home (I wish).

When can I go back?

Santa Barbara Sunsets

Here are a few snapshots from T's birthday getaway. We drove up the California coast to spend a few nights at the stunning Four Seasons in Santa Barbara. As is evident in these photos, we drank in many a sunset, as well as quite a few flutes of sparkling wine.

More to come in a later post....

Birthday Getaway

Today is T's birthday and in celebration we're heading up the Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Barbara for a few days. We both are in dire need of a little rest & relaxation and, perhaps, an opportunity to try something entirely new....

It's always an adventure with you, T. Happy Birthday!

Turning 4

My twin nieces turned four years old this week. I remember the day they were born and how tiny they once were (the above shot is from their baptism when they were two months old).

Not so tiny anymore. They're growing up so fast (didn't adults always tell you that when you were little? I'm such a boring grown-up now!) and will soon surpass their aunt in height, which isn't exactly saying much. Happy Birthday, Alex and Stephanie!

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?

My birthday weekend

I had, quite simply, one of the best birthdays ever. Last weekend, T and I flew up north for a little wine-tasting adventure in Sonoma and Napa, and we brought some friends with us along the way (and stayed with T's wonderful and obliging sister and brother-in-law). The entire weekend was filled with great food, great wine, and great company. In other words, it was absolutely perfect.

We flew to San Francisco via Virgin America. As a nod to my 28th birthday, T sprang for first class, where we drank sparkling wine and toasted to a terrific weekend ahead (which it was). Incidentally, Josh Groban was on our flight and could be seen flirting with the flight attendant (he sat in coach, interestingly enough). After we landed at SFO, we were invited to check out the cockpit, our ticket to this little privileged tour being our two-year-old travel companion, Oliver. Thanks, Ollie!

Breakfast on my birthday consisted of poached eggs and asparagus on toast, as prepared by T's fabulous sister Heather. Talk about yum.

We toured Trefethen winery in Napa, where T grew up. I sampled a tiny grape from this vine; its sweet flavor burst on my tongue in a perfectly delightful way.

Barrels upon barrels of wine, each containing 300 bottles. The mind reels from the sheer volume of so much wine and begs the question, 'Have I consumed 300 bottles of wine in my lifetime?' We ended up taking home their cabernet franc. Not all of it, just a bottle. :-)

Birthday cupcakes!

We had three small children in our party, so while the little ones napped in the afternoon, the grown-ups relaxed on a blanket underneath a shady tree (the female ones did, anyway; the males ended up napping along with the babies!), complete with delectable grilled cheese-and-avocado-and-tomato sandwiches and sparkling wine. Rough.

Here is T's baby niece Sophia looking like the angel that she is, post-nap.

The next day we escaped the 100+ degree weather and headed for the much cooler beach. I actually prefer gray, foggy weather, which surely must be some residual love from my London days.

Oysters and South African sparkling wine make a killer combo.

On the last day we headed into the city, where we caught a planetarium show at The Academy of Sciences (which was awesome), lunched in North Beach, spent an hour at City Lights bookshop (I'm guilty as charged), and admired the water from the Ferry Building. It's always bittersweet to experience such magical weekends as this, because for all the fun and sheer enjoyment I felt all weekend long, it's also rather excruciating to see it end and go back to reality. Although I'm struggling with serious post-birthday blues now, each day that passes gets a bit easier and I become even more grateful for having such wonderful friends in my life with whom to share a beautiful birthday weekend.