Fluttering on summer breezes

The month-long rain has finally broken and the summer sun is shining down. Warm breezes are floating across my patio and into my windows. What better to catch those gusts than these whisper-soft lounge pieces courtesy of Plum Pretty Sugar...

Most of the cotton voile fabric was discovered in India during PSS's travels and are ideal for weekend's spent sipping coffee and singing duets with Madeleine Peyroux.

Happy Weekend to you!

Now I really wish I had invented Post-Its.

Happy Birthday, Miss Compton!

As the lilacs bloomed and the peonies started to bud, I knew this was a sign of more than just the final stretch before a Sierra Nevada summer. But what? Pine pollen season? Evening softball games? Ice cream trucks? Ooh yeaaaah...Compton's birthday! Her real entrance into the land of Jersey is officially June 13th but we are celebrating a little today and a little tomorrow. It's been a day of eating so far starting off with my Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake, then Mel's treat from Nothing Bundt Cakes. However, Greg literally took the cake with Fudgie the Whale.

More details to come....

Channeling my Illy obsession

I've been receiving monthly home deliveries of Illy coffee for over a year now. 2 cans every month. And in this time, I haven't been able to bring myself to dispose of the majority of my leftover cans. I have them lining the top of my cabinets, on my desk in the sunroom, under my kitchen sink... Tired of watching them multiply and simply gather dust, I am making a conscious effort to discover alternative uses for their red and silver loveliness. Here is use #1:

I love to grow fresh herbs. The local rabbits love to eat my herbs. My beloved Illy cans are tallenough that those adorable yet pesky furballs can't reach them. Also, I can easily transport them back and forth to the kitchen.

Get your own cans here

Good-bye weekdays, Hello weekend!

It's been a rainy week here and I'm slowly slipping back into hibernation mode. These photos by Livy from A Field Journal have give me the power to cling to the last bits of spring/summer spirit I have. When the rain ceases, my flowers too shall bloom.

Happy Weekend!

OH...

Sometimes you just can't win.

Come sail away...

Along the Nile with me aboard the Assouan. Christine sent me an article from Marie Claire Maison on this fantasy travel excursion and I have been dreaming about it ever since.

The text from the NourElNil website does little to stifle my passion to sail:

Surely you have dreamed of sailing the Nile like the nineteenth century travelers Flaubert, Amelia Edwards, Pierre Loti, Nerval and so many others.

We provide you with this extraordinary opportunity to explore the river of myth and legend aboard our dahabiyah, the Assouan.

Propelled by the gentle Nile winds, you will discover the many archaeological treasures, magnificent deserts and breathtaking vistas Egypt has to offer.

Removed from the rush and crowds of typical Egyptian tours, you will find yourself traveling to Egypt's finest destinations at your own leisurely pace, while we provide you with all the comforts and amenities other Nile tours can only claim to offer.

Come join us--a wonderful journey awaits you...

I'm on my way!

I <3 Michael Cera

Pura Vida!

We recently returned from Quepos/Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, the location of Wayne & Mel's wedding. And while our reason for traveling to Central America was certainly to witness the union of the HillegAstrups, we found ourselves savoring the land, the water, the food, our plane and our friends even more.

The sweet Suite 727, Costa Verde

View onto wing balcony, Karen & Dennis' suite, our bathroom cockpit
,

C dancing in the kitchen


View from Wing Balcony


Rummy & Makers


The best morning


ATV Tour & Jungle Trek

This journey started off slow and then turned potentially dangerous when Karen & Dennis flipped their ATV going through a river. Fortunately, everyone was safe and we trekked on...

We climbed waterfalls, meandered up and across bridges and even leapt from a few.



Thanks to our friend, Roberto and his crazy hiking dog, Botas for a day that still has us grinning!

Pool time
What's better than beach time all day and pool time at night!?

In between our adventures, we set aside time to dine out and cook in.

Breakfast at Costa Verde's Anaconda


Pescado con salsa limon, Cafe Del Mar
(It looks frightening but was absolutley delicious. The Costa Rican tacos are a must too!)


Tom's breakfast scramble and the largest prawns I've ever seen. (Prawns courtesy of La Hacienda)

Chef love

The Wedding

While it poured on the wedding, we all managed to have a blast!

Big thanks go out to my Costa Verde crew: Tom, Christine, Karen, Dennis, Rak, Sheila, Debbie & Paco. You totally made this trip the ever-lasting memory it is.

And big ups to Fresno! We miss you buddy!