Embrace Spring

Image by Ali Harper, bouquet by Ron Barrett.

Dainty

To celebrate the arrival of spring.

Image via @amy_merrick

Magnolia

 I find it utterly impossible to resist a gorgeous magnolia bloom. Wouldn't a single stem make a stunning bouquet for a minimalist bride?

Image by Eric Kelley, styling by Mallory Joyce Design, “Bridgette” gown by Olia Zavozina for Southern Weddings Vol. 8.

Smitten

With these classic navy dresses, charming peony bouquets, chilled glasses of rosé, and summer weddings.

Image by Katie Stoops Photography; bouquets by Sweet Root Village.

Blush & Berries

A weekend without my husband is a strange thing indeed, but I took advantage of the time alone to get things done and enjoy the pleasure of my own company a bit. It wasn't terribly glamorous, but it did feel good.

A friend and colleague was celebrating his birthday on Friday, so my usual companions and I put off our Indian feast and I joined my coworkers at Hopwater Distribution for a low-key celebration and a little pâté. I tumbled home early but exhausted (trans-continental phone calls are hard on my sleep schedule) and curled up with my theory textbooks before bed.

I let myself sleep in a bit on Saturday morning, but the siren song of breakfast tacos was simply too strong. Spicy homemade salsa and a cup of strong tea were the perfect accompaniments, and after cleaning up the kitchen, I dashed across town to pick up our car, which was getting its annual tune-up. On the way home, I dropped by my favorite grocery store to pick up supplies for the rest of the weekend-avocados, sweet corn, basil and early girl tomatoes. Then I cozied up with my to do list for a productive afternoon. A green salad and a little exercise kept me feeling good, and after a shower, a stroll and some reading, I cooked up a little pasta pomodoro. It and a Campari-soda made me feel like I was in the South of Italy, even though the weather was gray and cold. Then I cozied up with my latest read (and an episode of Mad Men) before falling asleep.

Early to bed means early to rise, and I was delighted to be up before anyone else in the neighborhood (or so it seemed). I made my favorite weekend breakfast-poached eggs over avocado toasted with roasted fingerlings and a cup of English Breakfast tea. After my morning devotionals-French lessons, music theory and ear training-I treated myself to a chai at my favorite coffee shop and settled into a cozy back table to read. I caught up with mom while running a few errands, then headed home to check off a few more to dos, including a long sweat session. A big green salad stuffed full of summer veggies and a teeny glass of Sauvignon Blanc made for a lovely evening, and I crawled into bed early to watch Astronaut Wives Club (I adore the 1960s!). And as for Indian food? I'll have it on Tuesday, when John gets back-I can't wait!

Tell me, what do you do when you've got the weekend all to yourself? Reconnect with girlfriends over lunch, pamper yourself and watch trashy TV, or tackle projects you don't usually have time for? I'm all ears! 

Image by Erin Hearts Court, blush garden rose and hypericum berry bouquet by Max Gill Design.

Strawberry Fields

This weekend was simply wonderful.

With our fifth wedding anniversary on Wednesday and a familial love of surprises, I thought few things would tickle John more than an unexpected weekend trip. Unexpected might be a bit broad since technically I'd been telling John every day for about four weeks that something was planned, but on Friday night I told him we needed to be in bed early for a big day!  After Indian food and an episode of The Newsroom, I discreetly packed a weekender and crawled in bed before 10.

Our early alarm was followed by some favorite empanadas picked up at Hollow the day before and lattes from Trouble that we sipped with Outer Sunset fog practically around our ankles. John didn't know it, but we were headed for sunshine in wine country, and when he realized where we were headed, he was absolutely thrilled. We started with an mid-morning tasting at Ehlers, where John had bought his very first case of wine when we were still in college, then dropped by Bouchon Bakery for a light lunch. I kept each aspect of the day a surprise, so he was delighted to discover that our after-lunch stop was Paraduxx, a winery we'd first visited with friends, and where we left with a few bottles of rosé for summer sipping. After a winding trip over the mountains to Glen Ellen we didn't have the stamina for the third winery I'd scheduled, and instead napped at the gorgeous Beltane Ranch where we were spending the evening. After a game of horseshoes and a stroll through the vineyards we headed into downtown Sonoma, where we strolled through the quaint town square and popped into boutiques to sample olive oils and ogle cooper cookware. After a round of Americanos at El Dorado Kitchen, we walked across the street to the girl and the fig for a fabulous dinner: fried soft shell crab and a charcuterie plate with a glass of sparkling rosé, melon-burrata and pickled carrot, fresh corn salads for our second course, and the duck confit with summer squash slaw and a decadent dish of potato purée with a Carignane from Cline. We shared an orange pound cake with marscapone and berries for dessert and tumbled back to the ranch gloriously full and happy. 

The next morning, John was up for the first pour of coffee and we had the most divine huevos rancheros with eggs fresh from the chicken coop before spending the better part of the morning swinging in the hammock on the lawn. We headed back into downtown Sonoma for a tour of the original Williams-Sonoma and to pick up cheese, bread and a bit of fruit for a low-key picnic in the vineyards. We finally said goodbye to gorgeous Glen Ellen and made our way back home in the early afternoon-but we brought some wine country produce along with us for supper! I needed some exercise and John needed a nap after our weekend, but once we'd both been satisfied, we cooked up some delicate gnocchis tossed with fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, basil and a bit of Parmesan. It was an unbelievably delicious way to end the weekend, and continue our anniversary celebration!

Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Taking an adventure close to home, perhaps, or celebrating Pride in your city?

Image by Katie Stoops, white bouquet with strawberries by Watered Garden.

Garden Rose

After spending Thursday at home curled up with a migraine, I wasn't surprised when Friday quickly flew by. A day spent catching up on emails practically demands an evening spent catching up with friends, and having our Friday night foursome reunited recently has been good for the soul. After sampling some saisons-good, bad, and truly awful-at Social, we dashed across the street for curries and naan at Masala. After a fabulous evening, John and I headed home to catch up with the inmates at Litchfield, and I'm certain we weren't the only ones watching!

We were up early on Saturday morning, and while John picked up breakfast supplies at our favorite grocery store, I was grinding coffee and brewing tea. Poached eggs over avocado toast with roasted fingerling potatoes might seem like they'd eventually get boring, but it certainly hasn't yet! We finished the episode of Orange Is The New Black from the night before, then tackled our to do lists. After a few hours of productivity, we jumped in the car and headed across town to a restaurant supply store, where we found our perfect flatware to pair with the new dishes and glasses gifted to us. Then, to support our recent passion for learning languages (I spend my morning train ride glued to Duolingo), we looted the children's section of the public library for books in French and Spanish, including a complete set of Beatrix Potter stories, which were my earliest memories of childhood reading. Back at home, we whipped up a big salad full of heirloom carrots and thinly sliced French breakfast radishes. After one more episode of OITNB (we can't stop!), John took off for a run while I settled back in with my laptop to get some work done. That evening, we cooked a simple paella together, and washed it down with two petite glasses of rosé-it was National Rosé Day, after all! 

On Sunday morning, there were pancakes with two of John's favorite condiments-rich French butter and Grade B maple syrup-and strawberries, bananas, and raspberries. They were the perfect antidote to the changeable San Francisco summer weather, as was the big pot of tea we made for sipping as we practiced our French. I spent some time with some old music school textbooks brushing up on the basics, and we both curled up under the covers with our current reads for a truly perfect Sunday. After a bit of housekeeping and some exercise, we were ready for an early supper; the simple tortilla John whipped up was perfect for dinner, and will be just as good for breakfast on a hectic Monday morning. After a foggy stroll through the park, we curled up for one last visit to Litchfield before the week began.

Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Sipping rosé in the sunshine, starting a new project, or did you get hooked on a cult tv show? 

Image by Stephanie Williams Photography, lavender bouquet with garden roses by Peony & Plum.

Fluffy

On Friday afternoon, I took off a little early and met John downtown to check some to-dos off our wedding list. I wasn't sure he'd make it past the first stop at Sur La Table, but John kept up in a big way, and by 6 o'clock, we'd managed to accomplish everything on the agenda! Strolling back to the car, I tugged John down an alleyway for a celebratory cocktail at The Cavalier before we headed back to our own neighborhood for our favorite Friday night ritual - Indian food! We sampled the goat cheese naan and devoured our favorite curries, and tumbled into bed earlier than we had all week. It felt glorious to curl up with a documentary and spend not one moment thinking about tomorrow's agenda.

On Saturday, John and I woke up early and he bounded out of bed for a run. We threw our clothes on to be the first in line at Hollow for coffee, chai and empanadas, and spent the morning browsing their sister store, Dandy, for gifts. Then I dropped John off at home and spent the next few hours working away from one of my favorite, sun-filled spots. I returned home to find John ready for a nap, and I was happy to curl up next to him with my laptop. After his repose, we both spent some time practicing our French (come to think of it, we should really be practicing our Spanish...) before deciding on dinner. We made a run to the grocery store, and while there, John was inspired to bake a coconut cake to bring with us to Easter dinner. We served rosemary-tomato braised chickpeas over toasted French bread with burrata before getting down to the business of baking. Nearly three hours and one spat later, covered in butter and shredded coconut, we had a beautiful petite coconut cake perfectly suited to its little white cake stand. After the challenges the evening had presented, we decided to curl up and watch other people, namely Anthony Bourdain, eat food cooked in professional kitchens. 

John let me sleep in on Sunday morning and surprised me with breakfast in bed delivered on his & hers trays. After poached eggs over avocado toast and roasted potatoes, we both got to our projects for the day - John at the guitar, me at my laptop. That afternoon after our workouts, we got cleaned up, put on our Easter best (vintage Lilly Pulitzer and cashmere cable knit for me, blue seersucker for John) and headed downtown to our friend's home for a beautiful meal. One of our best bud's been in Europe since the new year, and seeing him again after so many months was simply wonderful. There were bottles of rosé, Sauvignon blanc, and samplings of beautiful eau de vies from our favorite distilleries, but nothing beat the laughter around the table. We came home that night feeling so thankful for our community, and there's no better way to end a weekend than that.

Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Were you celebrating with family and friends, perhaps, or taking advantage of the warming weather to spend time outdoors?

Image by Kat Braman Photography, white peony bouquet by Xquisite Events.

Garden Rose

Last week was bananas on lots of fronts-I worked like a madwoman, did my hair & makeup trial (John teared up!), and we spent every night wishing there were more hours in the day to get it all done. But this weekend, while busy, was the perfect antidote to all that.

By Friday all I could think about was a quiet night in with my guy-luckily we were on the same page, and I was ordering Masala through GrubHub's mobile app on the train home! We cozied up with two Dixies, the beer we'll be serving on the big day and dug into the curries that arrived not long after. But productivity hadn't left us yet, and we spent an hour or two both hard at work before crawling into bed for a few 30 Rock reruns.

It's rare that I'm up before John, but on Saturday morning I practically dragged him out of bed for an early morning trip to the grocery store (you know you're starting your day early when there's still a crew stocking the produce section...). We made our favorite breakfast-poached eggs over avocado toast with roasted potatoes-and settled back into work quickly. John has a big concert two weeks after our vow renewal and an arranging project he wants done well in advance, so he's been hard at it lately, and I love hearing all the progress he makes. We hopped in the car to pick up my dress and grabbed some haloumi for a big watermelon-mint salad. But before supper, we whipped up some cocktails and chose our signature drinks for the big day. With our appetites sufficiently whetted, we fried up some cheese for our fresh summer salad drizzled with a balsamic reduction. And after dinner and a few more productive hours, we crawled into bed early, satisfied with the day's work.

John was up early for a pre-dawn run, and upon his return we soft-scrambled a few eggs to go with cheddar-chive biscuits we'd picked up the day before. Coffee, tea, freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice and strawberries made for a beautiful Sunday morning, and we were delighted to be finished with breakfast before we'd normally drag ourselves out of bed. We've been making a concerted effort to set our internal clocks an hour or so earlier, and it's been working well! After another productive day, including practice and arranging for John and a workout, shopping for wedding week outfits and lots of reading for me, plus a good spring cleaning of our apartment, we headed out to 4505 Meats for barbecue in honor of one of our dearest friends. There was plenty of pulled pork and ribs, and we stayed outside on the patio long after it had grown cold talking about our favorite birthday celebrations and the world today. Back at home, we did a little reading before heading to bed-the perfect Sunday night, as far as I'm concerned!

Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Doing some spring cleaning perhaps, or booking your summer vacation someplace divine?

Image by Silvana Di Franco, bouquet by A. Hana Designs. 

Reflections on a Wedding

With less than 50 days until John and I tie the knot (again), I thought it was high time I share our progress and some of the things we've learned along the way.

One of the most interesting things about planning this celebration has been the realization of the shift in my personal aesthetic over the last few years. Those of you reading this blog for years have seen it, and anyone who visited our first Baltimore apartment knows how different our home looks now. My hyper-romantic style and John's modernist bent have blended into something traditional, classic and clean. My blog has changed over the years, too, and I think the latest incarnation of A Crimson Kiss represents my love of distilled elegance. 

So despite all the empirical evidence available to me about what we'd want our wedding to look like, it was a bit uncomfortable to declare in such a big, unchangeable, eternal way that this is us. Because you don't exactly get to redo letterpress invitations. And when I came home on Saturday night and discovered our gorgeous stationery suite waiting to be stamped and sent to our nearest and dearest, I felt such excitement and confidence - because it felt like seeing those years of blending our furniture, our families, and ourselves on paper. It was the best moment of wedding planning yet.

Image by Elisa Bricker, green and gray rose bouquet by Beehive Events.

Frilled

What a week. What a weekend. But challenges make us appreciate the things that come easy or go well, and this new week is bringing many wonderful things.

We'd already gotten our Indian food fix on Wednesday evening over dinner with good friends, so although John could eat prawn vindaloo every day for the rest of his life, I insisted we do something a bit different. We met at Andronico's on my way home and grabbed a gorgeous butternut squash, which was heavenly slow-roasted and tossed into a Champagne-saffron risotto. We curled up on the couch-one place in our home we rarely enjoy-and watched House of Cards before a very early bedtime. After all, we'd been out after midnight mingling with the principal dancers of the San Francisco Ballet the night before!

We were up early on Saturday morning and John let me lounge while he cooked up our traditional weekend breakfast. I tottered into the kitchen to make coffee and tea while John smashed the avocado and served up beautifully poached eggs. We both settled in with our work, but John's been nursing a little cold for the last few days, so a large part of the day was spent curled up in bed watching new episodes of Archer and brewing Throat Coat tea for my guy. After such a stressful week, it was a welcome break. That evening I stewed chickpeas in a rosemary-tomato sauce. Served spooned over toasted bread and topped with burrata, they made a splendid simple supper-and paired beautifully with a bottle of Cab. We took a stroll around the block for a bit of fresh air before heading home to cozy up with Frank Underwood.

Daylight savings time always makes me a bit uncertain of what time it is, but I must have checked every clock a half dozen times while we made breakfast tacos on Sunday morning. Scrambled eggs, spicy roasted potatoes and plenty of salsa might be the most fun way to start the date. John was feeling a bit better, so while he worked at the guitar, I checked projects off my to-do list. That afternoon we finalized the musical selections for our reception, and I worked up a sweat before diving into my latest read (and the newest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings). After a productive evening phone call, I indulged in a big glass of wine and snuggled up with my sick sweetheart before a busy new week began. 

Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Finishing House of Cards, perhaps, or making progress on a big project? Or maybe, like us, you were recovering from a cold and Daylight Savings time!

Image by Carrie Patterson Photography, pink peony bouquet by Gild the Lily Too.

Golden

I'd been dying to see Ballet 422, a documentary about Justin Peck's work for New York City Ballet, so we tried a new-to-us Indian restaurant downtown and dashed over to Embarcadero Center Cinema for the film. I so often forget how much is available to us in San Francisco-food, culture, nature-and Friday night reminded me to soak as much of it in as possible!

John will be in Dallas for the next few weeks, so we wanted to take advantage of our last day with each other and the gorgeous weather on Saturday, and indulged in breakfast al fresco at Seabreeze Café. After chipotle eggs Benedict with avocado, we ran a few errands before heading home to curl up next to each other-and our current projects! When you're really excited about what you're working on, you never seem to want to stop doing it. We took a breaks for a few episodes of Fresh Off the Boat and a late lunch before getting back to work until we suddenly found ourselves turning on the living room lamps. Then we sprang into action, slow-roasting veggies and poaching eggs for a simple salad supper (which I may have enjoyed with a glass of red wine). Then we crawled into bed with Gone Girl for a thrilling end to the evening.

We were up early the next morning, and after a simple breakfast (toast with soft scrambled eggs-Hollow doesn't open until 9am!) we were off to the airport. I kissed John goodbye, then headed home to cross a few things off my to-do list before dashing downtown for a dress rehearsal for the San Francisco Ballet. A friend of mine arranged the music for one of the pieces in Program 3, and got me in to see the rehearsal, which was fantastic. And who should I spot in the very small audience but Justin Peck, the star of Friday night's documentary! Starving and a little star-struck, I drove back home to whip up a salad full of roasted corn and avocado before settling in with a good book and the Oscars for the rest of the evening.

Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Did you watch the Oscars, cozied up with a glass of bubbly, and dream of a beachy getaway with a mug of cocoa to keep you warm? I want to hear all about it!  

Image by Austin Gros, bouquet by Stephen Sonnier of Dunn & Sonnier Flowers.

Ivory

I'm enjoying one last day of weekend, which means lovely breakfasts, no makeup and sharing the kitchen table with John as we work on projects. But that's no reason not to share what we've been up to these last few days!

It was a crazy-wonderful-stressful week, and by the time Friday afternoon rolled around, I couldn't remember the last time I'd been more ready for a stiff drink and a spicy curry. We met our dear friend at Masala with a bottle of French apple cider and dug into all our favorites dishes while we caught up on major developments in each others' lives. I was struck by how very lucky we've been these last few years to grow strong, wonderful friendships, and couldn't help but reflect on how much love is in our lives. 

Inspired by the Julia Child quote, "I think careful cooking is love," our Saturday was all about creating a special meal for one another. I'd tracked down a pheasant and John's favorite Champagne dark chocolate truffles at the Ferry Building earlier in the week, and after finding ourselves first in line for Americanos and empanadas at Hollow, we headed to Andronico's to pick up the rest of the ingredients for our sumptuous supper. Our early morning start meant a whole day ahead of us, so after putting away our goods and doing a little prep, we both sat down to work-John at the guitar, me at my laptop and with a stack of envelopes to address! Our light-filled living room was the perfect place to spend the day, and after a dress fitting (squee!) John and I got into the kitchen to try our hands at a new recipe. We did need to open the Champagne before dinner was finished cooking, and I wouldn't recommend the recipe to novice chefs, but the results were heavenly. After dinner, we took the bottle of bubbly, the box of chocolate truffles and a cozy fur blanket up to the roof for an evening of stargazing.

We were up early as usual on Sunday and John delivered breakfast to me in bed-poached eggs over avocado toast and a big Chemex full of coffee (plus a cup of English breakfast tea for me). We put the house away quickly and got a few to-do's checked off the list before dashing out to check out an alternative ceremony location; we found out on Thursday that we won't be able to hold our ceremony where we'd originally planned, so we've gotten creative! After our sunny morning site visit, we headed home and got back to work at his & hers laptops. I gave Mary Helen Bowers' latest torture a try that afternoon while John played a bit of Neapolitan jazz in the kitchen, and after a quick trip to the grocery store, we whipped up a simple pesto pasta and headed back up to the roof to dine as the sun set! Then we cozied up with Midnight in Paris, the perfect romantic film for a romantic weekend.

Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Did you celebrate Valentine's Day with a fancy dinner, or pizza and your favorite DVDs? I want to hear all about it!

Image by Lindsay Madden, white peony and rose bouquet by Blade Floral And Event Design.

Be Mine

A little less than a week before Valentine's Day, and you know what that means-everything's coming up pink hearts and rosé Champagne! But before I get ahead of myself with this weekend's plans, I have to fill you in on what I've been up to lately! 

Last week was a whirlwind of rehearsals, meetings, and lots of ballet. We even managed to score tickets (5th row center!) to Thursday night's performance of SF Ballet's Program 1, which was truly incredible. But after all that hustle and bustle, it felt pretty good to let the weather dictate our plans and curl up at home for a while. We ordered Indian food and even cracked open a bottle of Le Père Jules' pear cider before we dove into bed early with his & hers books.

John was up early on Saturday morning for a physical therapy appointment; I, on the other hand, was more than happy to luxuriate in bed. I staggered out of bed to start breakfast while John headed home with supplies, and we sat down to a simple meal before both getting to work. John carefully edited an arrangement (P.S. totally bursting with pride over this...) while I cozied up to a pile of journal articles and my to-do list. That afternoon I dashed out for a quick dress fitting, and after a few more dedicated hours, we strolled down to our local co-op for a few dinner ingredients. We cooked up a simple and spicy red sauce topped with basil, and for dessert, shared a few pieces of dark chocolate carefully topped with sea salt flakes. Then we curled up on the couch with an equally dark comedy before heading to bed.

We got a slower start on Sunday morning, and while the rain raged outside, we stayed curled up watching documentaries. After delivering John breakfast (poached eggs atop avocado toast and roasted fingerling potatoes), we ventured out into the wild for espresso and chai at Hollow. Back at home and dry again, we tackled projects left and right-including booking our honeymoon! With another busy week ahead, the companionable quiet of a productive Sunday afternoon was literally all I could dream of. Once we'd worked up an appetite, John played sous to my head chef, and we whipped up a recipe of necessity that turned out to be delicious-risotto bianco with roasted root vegetables, including parsnips, heirloom carrots, sweet potatoes and cloves of garlic. We finally called it quits on our to-do lists and snuggled up with Le Week-end for a lovely end to our own weekend.

Tell me, what have you been up to? Did you watch the Grammys last night, watch more snow pile up in your yard (East coast friends and family-move to SF!), or book a sunny getaway, perhaps?   

Image by O'Malley Photographers, garden rose bouquet by Sinclair & Moore.

Velvet

It's Monday, and while that normally wouldn't be cause for too much excitement, this particular Monday afternoon brings my sweet guy home to me! To say I'm delighted is an understatement-I've been looking forward to this so much that I even skipped Indian food on Friday night so that we could enjoy it together this evening! 

So what do I do when I'm not eating Indian food on a Friday night? Well this past Friday, I met a girlfriend for a drink (or two) at the Ferry Building which turned into a quarter of the appetizers on the menu and drinking a bottle of Garnacha back at my apartment! I didn't think once about tikka masala, though Laura and I spent plenty of time talking about our usual Friday night dates.

I was up early Saturday morning and after catching up with John, headed to Hollow to grab a chai, a chicken-apple sausage empanada and a cozy corner table. Then I dashed downtown to meet a girlfriend at Flax to pick up some art supplies, and we headed to Paper Source because neither of us can get enough of good stationery! After an alfresco lunch and lemonades at Arlequin, I headed home to work on a few wedding projects and make progress on my to-do list. I spent the rest of the evening devouring my latest read, thought I did manage to pause briefly for a little avocado toast topped with a poached egg-single girl Saturday night!

I let the Sunday sun wake me, and cooked up a big Mexican breakfast in preparation for a full day. After cleaning house and doing laundry, I dashed downtown to no less than 2 different libraries to pick up literary supplies. I squeezed in some time for inspiration before diving into work, my best distraction while John's been gone. After a little workout with Mary Helen Bowers, I whipped up a simple pesto supper and brought my books and laptop into bed for a truly thrilling Sunday night. 

Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Did you watch the Super Bowl or throw a festive viewing party? Or were you otherwise occupied this Sunday like I was? Can't wait to hear all about it!

Image by Ashley Rose Photography, white bouquets by JL Designs.

Bountiful

We broke with tradition on Friday night, and rather than stuff ourselves with Indian food, we headed to Hayes Valley for a fabulous evening of opera. After all, when one of your dearest friends is performing in San Francisco Opera's production of Cenerentola, you go! We snagged a sidewalk seat at Absinthe before the show and both ordered the burger along with a glass of crémant. We strolled over to the opera house with one of our usual Friday night dates, then watched Efrain with pride. After the fabulous production, John and I headed out with another couple to Boxing Room. We were having such fun we could hardly believe we got home just after 1!

We were up early the next day despite our late evening the night before. After a simple oatmeal breakfast with molasses and cinnamon, I took John into work and bee-lined back home to get to it myself. I spent the day at my desk, revising, editing and reading. At the moment I thought I might go cross-eyed, John called to say he was done, so I hopped in the car to grab him and we made a few stops along the way for groceries and more library materials. We ordered a small Indian feast in the car (old habits), and when our curries arrived, we both squealed with glee. We curled up after dinner with an episode of The West Wing, but I was anxious to squeeze in a bit more reading. John conked out at 8:30 while I was just cracking open the book's spine, and I headed to bed not too long after.

So imagine our surprise then that we didn't rub the sleep out of our eyes until 8:30 the next morning! We've been working pretty hard lately, and I guess it finally caught up. We jumped out of bed to start cooking breakfast, and by 10am we were enjoying poached eggs served over sweet potato hash with rosemary and thyme, chicken-apple breakfast sausage, and freshly squeezed grapefruit juice-not a bad start to the day! I brewed John a second pot of coffee and we got started on our to-do lists: blogging, reading and editing for me, practice and arranging for John. He headed out that afternoon to grab new strings and pick up a few last ingredients for our Thanksgiving contributions (I make the pies, John's responsible for cocktails), while I stayed buried in my work. Eventually I tore myself away for the wonderful torture that is Ballet Beautiful while John made supper-a simple pasta pomodoro that was perfect with a glass of Beaujolais-Village. We curled up with one last episode of The West Wing before heading to bed early-turns out we needed the rest!


Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Watching the last installment of The Hunger Games, prepping your famous pecan pie for Thursday, or cheering your team on to victory, perhaps?

Image by Nhiya Kaye Photography, fall bouquet by Sax Romney.

Falling

I skipped out of the office at a reasonable hour on Friday and headed straight home-after so many weeks of travel and commitments, it would be our first Indian food Friday in weeks! We met one of our compatriots at the restaurant (her beau was busy singing in New Orleans Opera's premiere of Rusalka) and caught up over curries and ciders. She had fabulous ideas about our upcoming celebration that I can't wait to incorporate, and when we said goodnight that evening, I felt like the madness of the last few weeks had finally dissipated. 

John had a Saturday brunch shift, so we got up early to make our favorite breakfast-poached eggs over avocado toast. I dropped him off at The Corner Store and bee-lined back to my desk for a day full of reading and writing. A cup of tea kept me company, and I was at the library grabbing more goodies when John called to say he was finished! We made a quick stop at Andronico's for jalapeños and hummus, and got to work on dinner before dusk. Spicy Moroccan sweet potato stew is just too good to wait for! We popped open a bottle of blanc de noirs to enjoy with dinner, and after our meal headed into the living room to collaborate on my latest musical project! We headed to bed early, feeling exhausted and excited for the next day.

On Sunday, John was up before sunrise for his long run, while I stayed curled up under the covers for a little while longer. We were dressed and sipping coffee a bit earlier than usual though, because we had an early appointment at The Wedding Party in Berkeley to pick up...my wedding dress! I slipped it on in the shop and couldn't stop grinning; after a scary few weeks wondering if I'd love it now as I did then, I was reassured that I'd picked the perfect frock. After our appointment (the ladies there were nice enough to squeeze me in before the shop officially opened!), we headed to nearby Albany for breakfast at Sam's Log Cabin, which one of my dearest friends had been raving about for years. The wait was quickly forgotten when John's trout and poached eggs and a stack of cornmeal and blackberry-coconut pancakes arrived! Full, we headed home to curl up with an episode of The Mind of a Chef (John is hooked!) before I got to work and my guy took a much-needed nap. We had a quiet afternoon of practice and editing, and I made yet another trip in the library. I came home to John scrubbing every surface of our apartment with Messiaen blasting, and after we geeked out over some scores, strolled down to the beach for Thai food-making dinner was simply too much responsibility! Without cell phones there was nothing reminding us that we were lingering over dinner and sticky rice, and we headed back home to wrap up some work before calling it a night.

Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Planning your Thanksgiving menu or making travel plans, perhaps, or indulging in a mug of hot apple cider?

Image from Wedding Style Guide.

In Bloom

I'm actually writing this from my Milwaukee hotel room on Sunday afternoon, feeling wonderfully overwhelmed and invigorated by the week. I have nothing glamorous to report about the weekend (unless having a king sized bed to oneself is glamorous) but I haven't missed San Francisco's chic coffee shops or fashionable bars in the least-I've been surrounded by people who are crazy about what I love, and I'm having an impossible time trying to put into words exactly how much that has meant to me. Suffice to say it's been an amazing few days.

Tell me, what have you been up to? Pursuing your passions or dreaming big, perhaps? I certainly hope so!

Image by Erin McGinn, bouquet by Greenlion Weddings.

Matched Set

Guys, I spent the whole week bragging about what a laid back pair of days awaited me once 5pm rolled around on Friday afternoon. I spent the better part of the last working week running around like crazy person preparing for a big office move, and really looking forward to Indian food, a decadent Saturday morning breakfast, two long afternoons with my to do lists and all the ballet books I could drag home, and even a cocktail or two. 

But instead, this weekend made the previous few days look like a cakewalk. It's only work, but the truth is that things around here were even less glamorous than usual. Of course, I couldn't let a weekend pass me by without a tikka or two, without one really fabulous egg poached by my dear husband, and without a few episodes of The West Wing. No matter what life throws at me, I hope I'm never too busy to curl up at the end of the day with John and President Bartlett for a few quiet moments.

Tell me, did your weekend go as planned, or was your agenda derailed like mine?

Image by A Bryan Photo.

Peachy

And we're back! 

Truth be told, we actually landed late Wednesday night, but between catching up on emails, washing sandy swimsuits and adjusting to life without a frozen margarita in hand, I needed a few days to get back in the swing of things! Luckily by Friday night, nearly everything seemed to have returned to normal. After work, John and I meet up with friends at Masala for our traditional Indian feast, washed down with home-brewed beer and a bit of bubbly. Really, what could be more San Francisco? We drove our friends home and dove straight into bed with an episode of Frasier, feeling giddy with weekend anticipation.

John woke me up early on Saturday morning with breakfast in bed; we had poached eggs over avocado toast and roasted fingerlings, and happily fell into our quiet weekend routine. While I poured over wedding inspiration and planned features, John practiced new repertoire and worked on arrangements. We took a midday pause to run some errands, including a little grocery shopping to restock our rather bare pantry, and returned home with piles of stone fruit, fresh basil for pesto and all the ingredients for a simple paella. I chilled a bottle of Verdejo and was prepping vegetables when I heard the most terrible crash-our bedroom window had leapt out of the frame (the fact that it was never properly installed probably precipitated its fall) and onto John's sturdy bedside table, spraying shards of glass everywhere! After carefully collecting the larger pieces and sweeping up the small bits, we were both thankful for a glass of wine, and cooked supper quietly together. We curled up on the couch to watch a bit of a documentary on La Bayadère, but soon found ourselves engrossed in our projects again. Eventually we trundled into bed, and with the window more than wide open, feel asleep in our chilly bedroom. 

We'd set an early alarm on Sunday and indulged in a bit of snuggling before bounding out of bed to be the very first people in our favorite coffee shop. We practically cleared out their selection of empanadas and sipped our steamy drinks from enormous mugs, then headed home to tape over our window with pieces of cardboard since the morning fog had gotten progressively wetter. Soon we took up our traditional roles at the guitar and computer, respectively. I reached out to vendors, tweaked our menu and planned my editorial calendar while John poured over scores, and we both took a mid-afternoon break to work up a sweat. John was sweet enough to do laundry while I cooked a simple Spanish tortilla for supper and curled up with a book on the history of the San Francisco Ballet, and settled in for a surprisingly late supper once all our chores were done and the clothes put away. We crawled into bed feeling ready to tackle a new week-after just one more episode of Frasier, of course!


Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Catching up with old friends, having an adventure, or celebrating National Ice Cream Day, perhaps?

Image by Liz Banfield, lace gown by Vera Wang, bouquet by Just Bloomed.