Moroccan Fantasy

So, I saw this picture of a room on someone else's blog, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I love the colorful-but-soothing Moroccan feel of the purple, blue, and pink hues. Wow- live would be great if I could have a room like this. I also love the chandelier in the middle of the room. I think it give the room an extra touch that is needed to add a bit of elegance and fun.

Classic Heels

So, I needed a pair of black heels, and I really like these ones from Target. They aren't amazing, but I think they are pretty classy and I have needed a basic black high-heeled shoe.I also bought a pair of black heels that are peep-toed, but I can't wear them yet as my toenails are still freaky weird from when they fell off last fall, and it's kind of cold. I'll stick with these for a while.

Tribute to Valentine's Day

SMITTENS

Okay, so I also spotted these on the Restoration Hardware website and I was definitely, could I say, smitten? They are one of the funniest things that I have seen. I figured that they were perfect for a Valentine's Day blog. They are described as being "mittens built for two" and each set includes "two single mittens and one tandem mitten." Aren't they hilarious? Definitely conducive for interdigitating no matter what the season!

Bookends

I just love these Typewriter Bookends from Restoration Hardware. I've never really had an affinity for bookends, but these really caught my eye. I think they are totally adorable.

Tiffany & Co.

So, when I was home over the weekend, my sister was talking about the new ring that she wants from Tiffany & Co. I asked her what the Mesh Ring was and she gave me this disgusted look and said, "You don't know what the Mesh Ring is? Everyone's wearing it!" This feeling of being on the out made me a little curious, so I looked it up on the website. I have to say that I am not that impressed. I then found another ring, the Knot Ring, that I definitely prefer:






The Knot Ring




The Mesh Ring

Celebrations of LOVE

I don't know what's funnier... the article itself, or the fact that a guy I've been on a few dates with recently is the one who sent it to me. Read the whole thing, I think you'll notice a few familiar scenarios. :)

Why I hate Valentine's Day

By Laura Gilbert

As a single person, I have to tell you, mid-February is not my favorite time of year: Pink hearts abounding with no one for me to give one to, merry couples flaunting their mutual bliss in dimly-lit restaurants, and, of course, the secret shame of every single girl—the flower delivery from my mom. It's easy to understand the real reason that being single on Valentine's Day truly sucks—you're just plain left out.

But there are more subtle, sneaky ways that the holiday makes people miserable. Even if you've just started seeing someone or are officially dating someone, February 14th is a tricky date to navigate. Let me explain:

Valentine's Day makes people afraid to start dating someone
Dating gets put on hold for the few weeks before the 14th, because who wants to go on one date with someone only to have to decide right away whether to commit to a couples' holiday together? Say "yes" to a Valentine's Day date, and you seem too eager. But if you don't mention the holiday at all, you look just plain out-of-touch and may find yourself wondering why your date is so standoffish. So, many single people do what I do: Put dating on a hiatus from about mid-January onward, just to avoid any awkward situations.

Valentine's Day can wreak havoc for those who date around
Many single people out there believe it's wise to hedge their bets by seeing more than one person at once. That's all well and good—until red-letter days like Valentine's, where there's only room for one name on your high-stakes dance card. You may find yourself in a position like one friend, who won't let me use her name, who woke up one Valentine's morning with someone she'd been dating, graciously accepted the flowers he gave her, then waved goodbye and threw them away so her evening visitor wouldn't see the evidence of his competition. Having multiple suitors is good for the ego and if, say, you're trying to collect all the Star Wars watches from Burger King, but it certainly makes for a lot of sticky scheduling. Not to mention the countless opportunities for direct questions like, "Well, what are you doing that night?" or worse, about the relationship's status... how, er, completely not romantic!

Valentine's Day forces people to be super-sentimental. Valentine's Day also puts external pressure on singles to not only be in a relationship, but to be in a relationship that communicates through pink-and-white cardstock. "I hate seeing girls carrying home flowers that their boyfriends sent them, because I know that's never me, even when I have a boyfriend—that's just not how I am in a relationship," says Heather McCabe from Newark, DE. "All of the expressions have just become formulaic—why bother if you know what's coming?" She says she'd rather her boyfriend did something nice for her unprompted than something "romantic," just because it's a day when he's "supposed" to. So much focus on one little day can actually make people start to second-guess the hearts and candy they do get—is he really that into you, or did he just pick up the generic be-a-good-boyfriend package on his way home?

Valentine's Day can bring a couple to make-or-break status
If you and your date are trying to figure out "where this relationship's going," be warned: Have any discussions around V-Day, and you just multiplied the meaningfulness factor by 100. "Valentine's is like a microscope," says John Devore, a playwright from Beaumont, TX, who's got a special perspective, since he's been on-again, off-again with his current girlfriend for more than two years. "Every move, word, sentiment or flaw is examined in detail for deeper meaning." Try to be civil and it's read as commitment; act wishy-washy and you're all but asking for your date to explode. Devore has an elegant description for what happens when a mundane fight takes place on February 14: "When the relationship is stumbling, Valentine's Day is a magnifying glass that finds a sunbeam and burns your life to the ground."

Need further proof? Consider this case of how a sweet gesture can become a neon sign blaring "get out!" to the less-into-it half of the couple. Sophie Phillips, a lawyer in Putnam County, NY, learned that the painful way when she planned a romantic weekend away. "I did the whole bed and breakfast suite in the country thing—very storybook," she says. When her honey got there, he took one look at the overwhelmingly romantic (some might say stifling) set-up and decided that he really wasn't ready to move in with her, as they had been discussing. Everything was seeming too couple-y, too fast for him. "Lovely timing, right by the fireplace," she recalls.

Valentine's Day can cause a relationship to linger... too long
When you're in a relationship that's on its way out, Valentine's Day exerts a weird magnetic pull that makes you think it's worth sticking around for a few extra boxes of chocolate hearts. Take, for example, someone we'll call me, who started seeing a not-so-perfect guy early last winter. We weren't soul mates by a long shot — he didn't even have a TV, for starters — but he was nice enough, the cuddling helped save on heating costs, and the fact that all my friends thought he was way hot helped, too. Now, obviously I wasn't going to break things off during the holidays... Then, post-New Year's, when I knew we really weren't clicking, I couldn't help but think, "Well, I don't want to be single on Valentine's Day." I worked on keeping things pleasant for at least six weeks, to make it through the holiday together... but when things did unravel, let's just say I regretted not breaking things off sooner. It would have been easier to call the relationship DOA earlier rather than stretch it out unhappily in the hopes of being coupled-up on Cupid's special day. In my case, it seems, St. Valentine's was the patron saint of emotional inertia.

Valentine's Day ratchets up the pressure to have a perfect night
Happy loving couples are the people who can make us single people (or unhappy couples) quite jealous. They really just get joy out of being together, so you can imagine the epiphany I had when I discovered that Valentine's Day causes even these people angst. It happened when I was talking to my friend Jon Wilde from Durham, CT. He's been crazy about his girlfriend since the day they met, but Valentine's Day really freaks him out. "The first time we celebrated it together, it was a bit stressful, but I liked working to show my girlfriend how much I appreciate her—reservations at a nice place, a pretty gift, getting dressed up, that's all fine," he muses. "But by the next year, I felt panicked. How could I outdo last year's plans? More time together requires an even bigger show, right? I know in my head that my girlfriend would probably be happy to just have a nice night out where she could dress up, but I'm here beating myself up trying to one-up myself. There's no satiating my inner Valentine's beast!"

Valentine's Day forces you to play Kreskin on the gift front
OK, so let's say you're dating someone, and the big heart-shaped day is fast approaching. Do you just get a card? Some candy? Something cashmere or 14-karat gold? It all takes on these big, strategic implications. Suzanne Tripp, a copy editor from Boston, knows this scenario first-hand. "One year, I decided to treat my guy, and I made a really fancy dinner—red, heart-shaped lobster ravioli, champagne, chocolate soufflé," she says. For all her hard work, the one thing she skipped buying was flowers, assuming that her guy would at least pick those up out of instinct. "Nothing, nada," she says. "Here I thought I really didn't expect anything, because I'm not into that as a holiday, but I was still wondering if this guy even knew me or cared about me at all."

Another friend of mine had a boyfriend who had a knack for giving her exactly what she needed — a toaster, a rolling pin, a hot-glue gun — on the holiday, but the gifts had so little romantic quotient that she usually spent the evening locked in the bathroom sobbing. "I mean really, how could I not take those gifts as a sure sign that he thought of me as a pal he happens to sleep with rather than the sexy woman who rocks his world?" (PS: This relationship survived and thrived, but the V-Day gifts were the subject of more than one couples counseling session.)

OK, I have made my case. And as you may have gathered, I'm not a big fan of February 14th and believe plenty of other people would agree. Look, I'm not saying being single is super-fantastic: Of course I'm still jealous of people who get to go home to someone who loves them and who never have to experience sitting between two strangers on an airplane. But this year on Valentine's Day, instead of feeling extra-jealous of my hooked-up friends, I'm going to relish my lack of awkward couple dynamics and make-the-day-perfect pressure and kick back a bit.

Bags of Wonder

Lately I have been obsessed with looking at bags. I really want one. Too bad I can't afford anything right now. I really like big tote bags that are a little bit funky. Here are some cute ones that I found on the Anthropologie website. Just don't get too attached as they are a wee bit expensive!

Road Trip

Well, I made it. Finally. I left at about 5am this morning, and got here about 1pm California time. I am definitely ready for a nap. I just wanted to give a little play-by-play of the trip so you understand what I see every time that I drive home. (Keep in mind that pictures are definitely flattering in most cases!)

Leaving Provo

St. George, Utah

Las Vegas, Nevada

Baker, California (the world's biggest thermometer - always a highlight of the trip)

Barstow, California (okay, there really is a city, but this is what the area looks like)

Lake Forest, California

Yay! I made it. Not that it's this clear outside or anything, but it is still nice weather! I have a feeling that it is going to be a very nice weekend.

soup's on!

Earlier this week I came home and immediately noticed this adorable hand-painted ceramic tureen sitting on the kitchen table. And then my mom said that if I wanted, I could have it for my new apartment! What a nice surprise. It makes me want to decorate an entire kitchen around it. And if not, at least make some delish tortilla soup and invite friends over to slurp an afternoon away.

Ummm...Art?

This is, apparently, a larger-than-life self-portrait by Australian Ron Mueck. It's on display at

the Brooklyn Museum in New York. It appears that this artist is a former model maker for television and film and is known for his life-like renderings. Does anyone else find this sculpture (called "Mask II," by the way) at all disturbing?

Piece of Art

Okay, I could probably never walk in it and I definitely could never afford it. But I think that this shoe is amazingly beautiful.

hungry

Just looking at this cake makes my mouth water. Thankfully epicurious.com has posted the recipe. Maybe we should have it at our next 4WM rendez-vous?

Ingredients:

Cake
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs

Frosting
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 1/2-pint baskets fresh raspberries
3 1/2-pint baskets fresh blueberries

Preparation

For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Sift sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 27 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.

For frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over top of cake. Arrange 1 basket raspberries and 1/2 basket blueberries atop frosting, pressing lightly to adhere. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange remaining berries decoratively over top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)
Makes 12 servings.

cool things utah part I

I'm developing a new feature on the blog. We're calling it "Cool Things Utah" to help celebrate and enjoy our Utah lives and live them to their fullest. Mostly it's to just help me feel good about the fact that I chose to live here.

The first entry is inspired by my New York roommate Megan. She suggests Tower Theatre as a great place to catch flicks you can't see anywhere else. The inside of the theatre is supposed to be amazing.

The Best Flip-Flops Ever

Okay. We all know that I am a great lover of the flip-flops. What you may not know is that there are definite differences in quality when discussing this amazing sandal option. I decided that I needed to make my other three mothers (well, only two since Whitney is already aware of the goodness) aware of the amazingness that are Rainbow Sandals. This company makes long-lasting good quality flip-flops on the basis of environmental concerns about abandoned broken sandals littering the beaches (which is a problem, if you have ever been to southern California). There are basics, colored, leather, and suede options. They also have higher or lower arches for your complete comfort. After about 2 weeks they shape to your feet and are the most comfortable thing you could imagine. They are a bit pricey for flip-flops, but are definitely worth it. Besides, they are based in San Clemente, CA (about 15 minutes from home) and they are cheaper at the factory. If you are looking for some good, nice flip-flops, I would definitely recommend them. Here is their website.

more tasteful engagement photos

I know we have consensus on this matter. I'd just like to share my most recent findings. Miss Aubrey Trinnaman appears to be the latest and greatest on the artful engagement photo scene. Check it out (the second one down is my favorite):

Things You Would Never Buy From Urban Outfitters

So, I was looking through the Urban Outfitters website and happened upon some interesting items. I really think that these items will end up on clearane, and perhaps they will actually have to pay people to take them:

Stuff On My Cat book (includes photos of cats with, well, stuff on them)

Andy Warhol Lip Plate Set (for those times when you feel like eating off of lips)

Buddha Buddha Bank (just in case your normal Buddha bank isn't cool enough)

Inflatable Moose (for all those times when you were thinking, "Oh, if I only had an inflatable moose head on my wall, the apartment would be complete!)

Who Wouldn't Need...

Let's be honest. Who wouldn't love to have a Vinnie's Tampon Case? C'mon ladies, it's only $12! I personally find it incredibly hilarious. There is even a chart inside to help you track your flow...what more could you want?

dress!

I love looking at the J.Crew new arrivals for any season, but spring has me particularly excited this year. After a particularly cold winter, I'm ready for some sunshine and short sleeves!

Cute Shoe of the Day

While I was at the mall on Friday I saw these adorable shoes at Nordstrom from BC Footwear. I think I need them.

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK

BHUTAN

Bhutan is basically the last "Buddhist Kingdom" left. Right now you should basically be thinking Seven Years in Tibet. It is next to Nepal and close to Tibet. This is my next dream vacation spot. There is difficulty with travelling in Bhutan that makes it all the more unattainable and desireable. There is no way to make a cheap easy trip, as all visitors can only enter the country with a tour company. The Bhutanese government is afraid of losing their unique Buddhist culture that has lasted for centuries, so they strictly monitor all visitors to the country and their actions. But, really, could a country be any more amazing?

Monasteries that are built into the steep cliffs of the Himalayas...

Mystical water gardens that are overflowing with vegetation...

Colorful and magical ceremonies that visitors are invited to watch. Really, this is currently on the top of my list for places that I need to visit. Sigh...maybe someday.

And These Too

Imagine filling the window-sills with these and some bright, fresh daisies. Only $3.99 each from IKEA.

For Our New House

What could be more retro than some Andy Warhol pop art lithographs? Good news, girls... They're available at Target. Yessss.

We're Moving

Ok, it's settled. We're moving and I found us the perfect place to live. You won't even believe it. It's a turn-of-the-century mansion in the Avenues. that has been converted into a 6-plex. We'll be taking over the attic, which is a 4-bedroom 2-bathroom piece of amazingness. I really don't feel like I need to say anything else. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Oh, and if you're wondering - it will only be $323/month each.