"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only what you are expecting to give - which is everything. What you will receive in return varies, but it really has no connection with what you give. You give because you love and cannot help giving."
i know i'm a little behind on this post, but now that our new president and his family have moved into the white house, it's time to talk about the important things: like michelle obama's clothes. i wasn't able to watch too much coverage of the inauguration, but i definitely did my homework on who was wearing what:
in general, i liked michelle obama's outfits. i didn't love them. i love the color/idea of isabel toledo's suit but i thought it was a little dowdy on michelle's figure. i did, however, love love the green jcrew shoes. nicely done!
her jason wu gown was pretty, but i don't think she looked as stunning as she could have. the white just seemed a little bridal to me. i do think she did a nice job with the jewelry and wearing her hair down. i hate updos.
i also think this gown may have been more stunning in person. the details look like they were exquisite.
jill biden's reem acra dress was pretty, but i'm not sure it was entirely appropriate for a woman of her age, or for an event this regal. i do love the color, though. she dresses well, but sometimes she doesn't look like the professional, polished politician's wife that she is.
my favorite, favorite looks of the day were the obama girls' jcrew coats, velvet sashes and colored scarves. they looked so youthful in their bright colors and i just thought it was perfect. these coats won't be available until the fall, and they are in the crewcuts line, but i totally want to steal them both!
and the obama girls score again in more jcrew coats at the lincoln center concert. they're so beautiful! 
loved aretha's hat. absolutely loved it.
dear jay-z, you look stupid. go home.
dear don, ...... go home.what were your most/least favorite inaugural looks?
images: getty images, womensweardaily.com, huffingtonpost.com
dragée - prounounced drah-shay, refers to "sugar coated almond or hazelnut first mentioned in 1220. in france, dragées are traditionally given at baptisms, first communions and weddings." in america, the most commonly known type are called jordan almonds and are also associated with special occasions. the tradition of distributing them at a celebration dates back for centuries and is meant to ensure prosperity, fertility, happiness and good luck.
another type of dragée is the small, silver and gold decorative balls that are often used on christmas cookies and other baked goods.
relax and enjoy some time off this weekend...
I hope you guys had fun playing in the snow! Hopefully we won't have to wait so long before we see it again!
i've had a positively glorious day. 
vélo - pronounced vay-low, refers to a bike/bicycle.
"most principles of good design are truly universal, not size-or income-dependent... i was reminded that comfort doesn't have to mean paper plates and sweatpants. it can be elegant, and something we can achieve no matter where we make our home, be it a 35-room mansion or a small one-bedroom"
who doesn't like to win things? i have entertained the idea of winning big since i was a little girl watching the price is right every morning during the summer. i enter lots and lots of contests (lucky magazine's website has fantastic ones every month) and assume someday my patient persistence will pay off. no contest is as great, however, as hgtv's annual dream home giveaway. this year, it's a gorgeous farmhouse located in sonoma california; and if that weren't enough, a brand new gmc 2009 arcadia. the house is gorgeous and the decorating is stunning. you can enter daily through february 19, and although your entering lowers my own chances of winning, i wanted to share this with you because i am just that nice. (and if you win, you'll have me over for dinner/an extended vacation, right?) enter to win here! good luck! 
the idea of cooking in a kitchen like this makes me want to jump up and down. and buy lots of things at williams-sonoma.
in the words of carrie bradshaw: "hello!...i live here!"
i'll take this bedroom...
...and this bathroom...
...and i'll even do my own laundry if it means i get to hang out in this room.
and if you're really cool, i might invite you to my fabulous california parties, thrown here.
Dear Readers,
i went to target today to return something and ended up wandering around for like an hour and a half, which is pretty much the norm when i go there. it's probably one of my favorite places to buy everything from lingerie to home goods to food (their archer farms brand is so yum).
i have been fortunate over the past few years of my life to visit paris twice. i started falling in love with the country and its culture during my freshman year of high school, in my first french class. i not only loved the language but the fact that it was my heritage - my ancestors were french and so my studies weren't just those of another culture but one from which my own family has descended. after my first trip to paris (my senior year of high school), i was completely smitten and after the second i was ready to pick up and move. it's an amazing city! since that last trip, i have collected many tchotchkes to remind me of my travels and the magic of paris. none are more special, however, than the few pieces of artwork i have acquired. very few things evoke emotion the way beautiful artwork can and so these pieces are very special. and it's your lucky day because i thought i would share them with you...enjoy! 
i bought this pair at a tiny thrift store in upstate new york last fall. they are signed prints and i wish the camera did them justice - the colors are amazing.
this little painting is only about 51/2"x 7" but it is an original painting of sacre coeur/the monmartre arrondissement (that means neighborhood) in paris. it was painted with a palette knife so the details are vague (which i love) and the paint is all knobby and goopy. it's gorgeous and the best part was that it was only $7 in an antique store in cornelius, nc!
this pair is my favorite and no, they're not black and white photographs, but pen and ink drawings done by my brother. he's an incredible artist and i am just stunned by how amazing these two drawings are. the bottom one was drawn from a photograph i took the last time i was in paris, which makes it even more fun. aaron has created many many stunning pieces over the years but this pair is by far my favorite!
trousseau: pronounced true-so. in the past, this word has been used to describe the clothes and lingerie a bride brought on her honeymoon, but the word actually describes "a bride's personal possessions: household items, clothes, linen, etc." that she brings with her into marriage.
One of the Web sites that I frequent daily is decor8blog.com. Holly, the lady who runs the show, always has beautiful photos and inspiring blog links on her posts (She sometimes posts more than once a day! Lucky us!) I found Jennifer Causey as a result of reading/stalking decor8. Jennifer is a photographer with a knack for photographing simple objects and making them look delicious. And when I say delicious, I mean it literally. She takes a lot of pictures of food items. I thought I should warn you about this before you head to her site in case one of your New Year's Resolutions was to eat healthier. For those of us (me) who didn't make that resolution (me), we (me again) don't need to worry. We'll (I'll) just look at her photograph of stacked chocolate bars and go make ourselves (myself) a triple brownie sundae.
Table for one please, but I'd like two of everything in the bakery case.
Beware of crazy chocoholics.
I want my apartment full of these.
Speaking of apartments, I'll take this one. It looks fun.
Let's end on a good note - more chocolate! all images via jennifer causey
doesn't it just seem like a good idea? after the holidays, the weather is still cold (and in our case here in nc, rainy) but the schedule has slowed down...and it seems like such a great time of year to curl up and be cozy with a good book.
i encourage you to pick up a book you actually want to read, find someplace comfy and dig in! (and despite what the picture above says, when you need a break, you should still read my blog!)
it's a fact. french people are cool. they sound cool when they talk. they understand the art of simplicity better than any american i know. they don't fall prey to the abercrombie/hollister/american eagle nonsense that americans seem to think is fashionable. they walk everywhere. they don't wear crocs. they cook better. they don't go to wal-mart. and they understand moderation when it comes to portion sizes. i'll admit i'm a little jealous. 
atelier - pronounced a-tel-yay, refers to "a place where seamstresses, carpenters, painters, and artists could create their products. it was a place where they shared their ideas and found inspiration and answers to their questions. ateliers promoted research, support, and self expression."
happy new year! i can not believe how quickly the past week has flown by and i have thouroughly enjoyed the holidays this year. in fact, i am very sad to see them go and i moped as i disassembled my christmas tree yesterday.
love the fireplace/bookshelf idea here.
