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One year, and what a year it’s been! From moving into a mid-contraction condo and living in unfinished surroundings, loving and loosing our baby Pierre, starting my own business, traveling to Napa, New York, Cancun and Steamboat before the oh so unforgettable lull of life within the COVID-19 pandemic, to getting our new baby girls and my mother as our neighbor: OH WHAT A YEAR IT’S BEEN . Our wedding at the end of last summer felt like the grand finale of sorts, the marker be

From the beginning I knew I wanted my wedding dress to have a very classic, feminine and ethereal look, involving long sleeves, lace and of course a giant bow, my only non-negotiable. So like most brides-to-be, I made appointments at a few shops, hopeful to fall in love with something special. Although I didn’t have to most clear picture of what wanted, I did of course have inspiration; a more modern Grace Kelly. Unfortunately, my short stature meant that I swam in most brida

I chose to walk myself down the aisle… the symbolism of being ‘given away’ just didn’t sit well with me. Like many women, I did often think about what my wedding day would be like. Thoughts about what I would wear, where it would be, who I would marry, all things that I enjoyed talking about with friends, as I would see so many weddings portrayed in magazines, on television and in books. It was never an obsession, but ironically, after coming from a family where my parents go

Last summer, in the magical month that is August, tucked away in the hills of Los Angeles, I said “i do” to my now forever lo ve, Arthur. Upon arrival, the winding road in was flooded with greenery, horses milling about and mounds of bougainvillea heaping over fences lining the driveway, essentially all the things I love most about the outdoors. Several Italian cypress trees towered over a Mediterranean style house built in the 1920s where the ladies in the family and myself

In the days pre-COVID birthdays were essentially limitless. Every August I would celebrate in a myriad of ways ranging from cute lunches with my girlfriends, to summery white parties and an occasional a trip somewhere special. Whatever the setting, whatever the theme it essentially came down to the people I was lucky enough to spend my special day with, something I appreciate now more than ever. This year of course would have to look a little different, I had plans to do an o

It’s Leo season again and boy oh boy am I ready to celebrate! The month of August has so many fun things to look forward to each year as my birthday comes and goes at the pinnacle of summer, everyone’s last hoorah until the beginning of Fall approaches us ready with it’s cozy sweaters, sharpened pencils and the very start of the big holiday season. It’s also my second wedding anniversary and the three month marker with our sweet baby boy Parker! I have so many thoughts about

It’s really not THAT different from thirty . However, this time I’m in pink tulle again, but with a plate a delicious pasta in hand and absolutely nowhere else to be. Oh and did I add my kitchen is now complete? My birthday has always signified the end of something old and the beginning of something new, starting as a kid in school, leaving my summer behind, going into a new school year. I would assume most birthdays are as such, time to reflect, a time to regroup. Last year

Well it’s no secret that summer is undoubtedly my favorite time of year… As most people would likely agree, nothing is better than the season of warmth and relaxation, travel and causal togetherness. Of course my August birthday tends to plays a role in my admiration of the time, the excitement of planning and celebrating with friends and family, now also the anniversary of my wedding too. But most likely because I grew up in Chicago, where we all lived for those three months

Too beautiful for the general public… That is what Arthur would often say about our beloved little piggy, Pierre. Unfortunately after almost 13 years by my husbands side, Pierre went to heaven , leaving us all heartbroken but also extremely grateful for the time we spent with this amazing little Frenchie, who was undoubtedly, too beautiful for the general public. After a loved one leaves us it’s often too overwhelming a task to consider how we might commemorate them for the

The park has become my nightclub… Okay more like restaurant, but you catch my drift. Although many eateries in Los Angeles are now open for outdoor dining, I am still being conservative about distancing, so the park and takeout it is. Fortunately we live amongst many options for scenic spots outside, some with views of the mountains, others tucked away in residential neighborhoods. There is of course the beach, which is akin to Nobu at this point given you will likely see and

Slowly but surely… our new home is coming together. After an extended amount of time renovating, our home has all the bases covered in terms of construction and now it’s finally time to decorate. Our place still feels a tad cold and new, but I’m happy to report there is one spot full of love and warmth. The little nook we created in our master bedroom, a space we found under the staircase, now with convenient drawers and counter space. It’s a small space but extremely useful.

I t’s my favorite time of year, despite the state of our country’s health, I am taking it all in. Rolling with what comes, enjoying the moments I am spending at home and outside with my husband and our two, relatively new, little pups. A momma and her baby, Pearl and Muffy , who’ve kept my heart full and days quite busy. After months of social distancing from friends, colleagues and clients, quarantining from my husband for more than a month in our home, I can finally say

We all have our good days, we all have our bad days. Unfortunately Thursday, July 23rd, 2020, was a sad day. A very, very sad day. After 14 beautiful years on Earth, our family dog Caillou has gone to heaven. Caillou became a part of my family when I was 16 years old, eager and excited to finally have a dog of my own. He weighed four pounds when we brought him home and never hit more than eight on the scale since. He slept on my head, sat on my feet when I got ready for schoo

To say I love my coffee is quite the understatement. It’s essentially what fuels my soul, a precious delicacy I could never live without, getting me excited to start the day. As I often say, there’s no problem a workout and cup of coffee can’t solve. With that said, brewing inspiration each morning {aka making coffee} is part of my daily routine and on extra special days, my afternoon one too. Especially during this time being stuck at home, when heading to my local coffee sh

Since we can’t go to Italy, I made my best attempt at bringing Italy home. We’ve all been pining for some kind of travel, to spend some precious time anywhere but home, whether a short weekend away or a few weeks spent in a coastal European town. And while I’ve been loving settling into this new home of mine, I can’t help dream of something farther away, with better pasta than I can make myself or order on Postmates. If I were to choose a dream destination at this moment, at

Well it’s been an interesting summer… I must say between the roller coaster of COVID-19 and heart wrenching pain the world is finally starting to wake up to with the #BlackLivesMatter movement, I’m feeling a mixture of frustration, fear and hope all mixed into one complex time. Like many others, I am itching for the comfort of a gathering amongst my friends, family and community while the world appears so divided and so many of us are suffering. Suffering from the realization

Well we can’t go anywhere else… And to complain about a beautiful beach day is pretty rude given how fortunate I am to live near a natural body of water. Especially during times like these when our options outside our homes are quite limited! So here’s a little bit of simple picnic inspiration for you to get outside, enjoy some fresh air, snack/sip on some goodies and hopefully enjoy some summer sunshine fun. Enjoy. In advance of the 4th of July holiday weekend I planned a li

Well Summer is here… despite where the world is right now. The temperatures are rising and many people despite quarantining, protesting and listening are also attempting to find a bit of peace. My goal with this blog has always been to entertain, inspire, indulge; but it’s also about being authentic about where I am. And where I am right now is hopeful. Hopeful we will progress as a country, hopeful we will do so by not changing who we are but instead evolving into better ver

There’s no place like home… and as comfortable as I am nesting into our new relatively new place, I can’t help but let my mind wanderlust around the world. There are so many places I’ve been itching to explore pre-pandemic but now the desire is inevitably strong considering how far off some of these travel dreams will be as a result. So even though it’s a bit sad to think about the possibility of no travel for the next year, I actually had a lot of fun making this list and cr

This is an important moment in history… The #BlackLivesMatter movement started a longtime ago, but unfortunately the intent hasn’t seemed to have garnered the support it deserves until now, and we still aren’t anywhere near the goal of true equality. But in my very humble opinion, we have made progress, not enough, but we have made progress. As a social worker and therapist I have spent the last ten years of my academic and professional life learning and working with the syst