Not enough hours in the day...

Trying to adjust to being back at work, but it is harder than one might think!  Please forgive shoddy posting habits... I promise to improve, Mom.

The following screen grabs (most likely from designsponge) were sitting on my desktop, and are about to be filed away for later design inspiration.  I'd love to host people there.  The painted wood makes the space seem so open and elegant.  

I am coveting the hutch in the background and hope to find a similar piece someday to go with my dining room table.

chocolate pave

Made this pave (flourless cake) for my roommate's birthday:lessons learned:

- separating eggs and chatting should not be done at the same time.  wasted 6!

- use an electric mixer as whisking the yolks and whites manually takes much time and effort.

- tastes amazing!  find the recipe in Alice Water's The Art of Simple Food.

From One to Many

My favorite person gave me a tasteful, classy flower arrangement for Valentine's Day.  The sunflowers started to turn on themselves, so I broke the grouping up and spread little bits about the apartment.  Quite happy.

Today's Additions

Since the rain and my non-stop-working let up, I decided I needed to get back outside and give the downstairs area some love. 

I think these ranunculus are gorgeous.  At $1.99 a plant they aren't a bad deal!   

Added some color to the pots out front- mirrored on my neighbor's side.

The view from inside:

The bases of our Italian Cypress trees have been bare since I moved in.  Bought some trays of Alyssum "Snow Crystals" to use as a ground cover.  Hopefully they will spread, but if not, I'll buy some other ground cover to mix in.  

So there you have it!  Two posts in one day to make up for my negligence since starting work.  

Homegrown Goodness

Picked the first radish from my little garden today.  It was a perfect fuschia orb.  Ate it with a bit of salt.  Quite tasty.
My beets are still quite small and the carrots are barely the size of crayons.
Using greens from outside, I made a goat cheese and beet salad with toasted pine nuts and the tiny carrots.  
Enjoying the salad, having a glass of cheap red wine, and am watching Cleopatra to marvel at the costumes and decadent sets.  

I do hope you will excuse the indulgence...

But I just had to post a picture of the beautiful award I received (along with the other brilliant members of the writing staff) from the WGA last night.  It will live on the mantle for a week before it takes residence on my desk.  

New succulents that I hope will take root.

Friday was so grey, rainy, and dreary, I bought myself this bunch of Star Gazer lilies to brighten the apartment.  I just adore how they bloom in succession.  

Tomorrow I am off to work in a real office... so looking forward to it! 

Recent Travels

Went to Vegas and Miami last week- both cities I had never visited before.  One highlight was seeing Tom Jones in concert.  The other was being a guest at an elegant wedding in the St. Bernard de Clairvaux monastery.  It is allegedly the oldest building in the United States- built in Spain during the 11th century and brought to the US by William Randolph Hearst.  It is so gorgeous, I just had to share photos from the event.

At Last!

Sorry for shirking my blogging duties.  In addition the camera disaster, I went to Vegas and Miami last week and had no time for computers.  Back home now and back at it!  Brought an old camera out of retirement to show you the garden's progress.  First, the bucket of beets- note the bucket of carrots off in the distance:

Snow peas:

Mesclun Mix:

Progress is so satisfying!  Thinned them all after taking the photos... things were a bit too crowded.  The beets and carrots need another week or so, but I can't wait to dig in.