Mermaid Suit

I love this mermaid story from today's "Early Show."


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Zen: Morning Dew

Hand-Me-Down Serving Pieces

I love a good nod to tradition. My friend Rebecca had a brunch for the girls recently and she explained in the invite that she was excited for the opportunity to pull out the china and silver gifted to her by her grandmother. It's true that they don't make things like they used to and hand-me-downs have more than sentimental value. I've started collections based on odd pieces I've received from my parents and grandparents, such as McCoy vases and Corning Ware serving pieces, and I always love to put them to use; the Corning Ware roasting pan pictured with baked ziti served our friends on Super Bowl Sunday.

Exercise in Progress

The road work sign reads: "Exercise in Progress." (Photo was taken while I was driving and I'm too careful a driver to take my eyes off the road, so this was the best shot I could get.) Exercise?

Chocolate is Love

Chocolate for dessert on Valentine's Day was an obvious choice but we went for double the pleasure with chocolates and fondue. The chocolates came from Jin Patisserie in Venice. Beautiful, yes, but also creamy and rich and delicious; our assortment included vanilla, yuzu, black sesame, caramel clove, and lavender flavors. The chocolate fondue was made simply with a bittersweet chocolate bar and heavy cream melted together and served in a vintage fondue set with wood and copper accents I picked up recently at one of my favorite local thrift stores. We dipped raspberries, coconut macaroons, and chocolate wafer cookies. Happily, the chocolate dripped on my silk top and the new French-country tablecloth came out in the wash.

Stop for Seals

Sign at the Seal Sanctuary in Carpinteria, California. Also, the seals sunning themselves on the sand.

Pretty in Pink Lips

This week, I went on a quest for a good pink lipstick and found two. Dr. Hauschka's Transparent Pink is a bold pink and Josie Maran's Precocious is the barely-there, wish-my-lips-were-like-this naturally pink. Neither contains ingredients that frighten me—which says a lot, now that I am aware of what goes into the making of most conventional cosmetics. I tell anyone who will listen that we should all be mindful of what we're putting on and in our bodies—and lipstick is something that goes on AND in (yes, ingesting it is pretty much unavoidable). When I decided to "green" my makeup bag by choosing non-toxic products in favor of those I'd been using for years, lip products were the first ones I swapped. I was especially excited this week to find out that Josie Maran, who launched her line this year, is a "compact signer" for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which means the company is committed to avoiding toxic ingredients and reporting what goes into the making of each product without hiding behind smokescreens. Phew.

The song that's been in my head since my pink lipstick search began:

I Heart Vintage Jackets

I've recently added a couple of vintage jackets to my closet and both have sweet flower petal appliqués. These are details I love. But I didn't hesitate when it came to removing the shoulder pads from these. I photographed one set next to my Blackberry to show their size. Turns out the jackets fit just fine without them.

...Not Just Flowers

In addition to seeing lovely wildflowers during a hike in Malibu, we also spotted a coyote on the hike. Wide shot and close-up.

Flowers After the Rain

The best thing about a hike after a few days of rain: the wildflowers that pop up. Photos taken at the Charmlee Wilderness Park in Malibu.

Whereabouts

Photo taken on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Enter (or Exit) at Your Own Risk

We have a horseshoe nailed to the wall above our front door for luck. But I also like the idea of something outside to symbolically ward off evil. Like this doorway at the Santa Barbara Mission.

Road Sign Warning

I'm amused by signs by the side of the road. Wish I'd seen this one myself.