a small holiday break

I have decided to take a few days to recoup, regroup and recharge. Enjoy the Thanksgiving Weekend!

if i could do it all over again

There are times, like most people of my age group, I contemplate the fact, if I were able to do it all over again what would I change. Although this adult game is mostly played over a glass of wine or two in my household with friends, I can’t help but wonder how other women feel about the question?

If I could do it all over again, I would have:

lived in Paris during my twenties and thirties

duplicated the Grace Kelly look for my wedding

Raised my children in the French countryside

Written  a novel years ago

followed my passion – acting

Became an inspirational speaker for women

How about you?

reading recommends – book, nook and kindle

I can’t believe this. I have stayed away from reading recommends because I was trying to delay the inevitable. But more and more, people are switching over to the nook, kindle and every other gadget out there as their choice for reading  materials.

I get the craze, but I am sad to see the paperbacks and hardbacks slowly disappear along with mom and pop bookstores.  It was nice to stop staring at a computer screen for a few hours and be able to curl up on a bed or a couch and read an actual “book” but these are the times and those are our choices and although I am having a difficult time accepting it, I know eventually I will become a minority with the way I feel about it.

Anyway, here are some interesting books I discovered while shuffling through the gadget category. Let me know if you have read any of them and what you think or if you would consider reading any of them sometime in the near future.

my love affair with springtime

According to the calendar, March 20th marks the first day of Spring. Although this year, due to some bizarre weather patterns, it may not really feel as though Spring is actually here.  However, since Spring is one of my favorite seasons of the year, the other one being  Summer, I can no longer wait to welcome it, even if we are due to experience some bad weather this week in Northern California

Happy week everyone!

valentines day romance – suggestion 2 – date day

Most people in their 40s have children or teenagers and since February 14th falls on a school and a work day, the fun of celebrating the holiday usually takes a back seat to soccer practice and piano lessons and work. So, I suggest celebrating it on Saturday or Sunday the 12th or the 13th instead just to get the most out of the holiday.

Again, these suggestions can be considered for birthdays and anniversaries as well.

First:  Make arrangements for a reliable sitter on either day you want to surprise your spouse or loved one with children.
Second: Clear your partner’s calendar for the day – make sure you pick the day with the least pre-arranged appointments for the children and their school events.
Third: Organize a slew of events or activities for the two of you to do for the entire day – this could be an entire day spent in the country or a metropolitan city, depending on where you reside – do the opposite. For example for those living in the bay area, consider a day spent in downtown San Francisco sightseeing, having afternoon tea, a museum visit or a show or dinner and dancing and if all goes well, spend the night in a hotel downtown.
Fourth: Take her to places she has never been or a special place the two of you went on your first date for dinner.
Fifth: Buy her a special small gift (souvenir)  from the place you decided to take her.
Sixth: Take a photo of the two of you in black and white and then frame it in a 4×6 silver frame.  Then place it on her nightstand the night before  Valentine’s Day, so that when she wakes up in the morning she could see it.

new year lifestyle makeover

Normally around the end of a year or the beginning of a new one, people tend to reconfigure their life and lifestyles in an effort to make changes, which in essence will allow them to feel good about themselves throughout the New Year.

It’s funny this behavior is almost automatic and whether we think about it or not, all of us participate uniformly and sometimes subconsciously.

While searching online for various small or big changes people tend to make around the end or beginning of a new year are:

1.Get  rid  of old clothes and donate them to a worthy cause

2. Spruce up the house by either painting or redecorating a room or two.

3.  Contemplate a new hair do and/or color treatment.

4. Shred old or expired files and organize a new filing system.

5. Clean out linen closets and declutter a food pantry.

6. Shop for a new perfume or explore new make up options.

7. Get a message or a spa treatment

8. Purge computer and organize online photos

9. Get new glasses

10. Buy a gift for yourself.

This is an interesting list and I am guilty of  number 1 and 10. What lifestyle makeover did you do the end of 2010?

2010 in a nutshell and happy new years

With a blink of an eye, 2010 comes to an end. This year was the most eventful for me because I celebrated a milestone birthday, lost a job, sold a house, lost a family member, rekindled relations with extended family as well  as travelled to some interesting destinations and some not so interesting. I admit I experienced too much and from it learned alot in the course of  365 days.

One thing I must say, thanks to maturity and an unexplainable sense of self-control (which I think is associated with maturity),  I was able to cope with the “personal” events which unfolded during  the course of the year  and in a way survived the outcome(s) with minimal damage to my mental health .

As I result of 2010,  I have decided to pass up on making New Years  resolutions altogether so that I am not too disappointed in myself, should I not be able to uphold the commitment.  Instead,  I have set some flexible goals for myself, which I am going to do everything in my power to reach throughout 2011, no matter what destiny has in store for me.

So, with that said, Happy New Year everyone!!! Have a safe and wonderful celebration no matter how you plan on ringing in the New year. Remember the basics, don’t drink and drive, take a moment to remember all our troops abroad and if there is room in your life, adopt a pet  from a shelter and if not, consider  planting a tree in memory of someone very special to you.

new years eve movie night

Just in case you have opted to stay home for New Years Eve this year and are tired of watching reruns or  reality shows on television, then consider renting some of the films I have listed below to keep you entertained.

So, grab a bottle or two of champagne, pop some popcorn, turn up the fire, snuggle under a blanket with a loved one or not and enjoy a movie or two or three

1.  The Apartment (1960)

2. Breakfast At Tiffany (1961)

3. La Dolche Vita (1960)

4. The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

5. Holiday (1938)

6. High Society (1956)

healthy holiday appetizers

While hosting a party at your home for the holidays, it is always best to include some items you have prepared yourself, unless of course the entire set up is catered, then it’s not an issue.

Guests love circling a buffet table, while trying to figure out what each dish is made of or made by.  So, in light of playing host, I have included two appetizers which I found here, that I think are fun to make and will surely be a hit at  your gourmet buffet table set up during this holiday season.

1. BRIE TOASTS WITH SPICED SUNDRIED TOMATO COMPOTE

pictured below – click here for the recipe

2. LE GRUYÈRE CHEESE PLATE WITH FIGS

Pictured below – click here for the recipe

breakfast nooks – a san francisco gem

Funny shift in article you might say, considering my thought pattern during the holiday season. But I just had to include a piece on breakfast nooks, because in my opinion, they play a major role during the holiday season. And also because I cannot go very long without discussing interiors and architecture.

In San Francisco, almost every home built before 1970, has some sort of a built in breakfast nook. I am not talking about an open space where you can place a table with four chairs (like most modern homes or kitchens have) but a small circular or a corner section in the kitchen area designed specifically for the built in table and seating. I just love them!!!

One reason I feel the breakfast nook plays a big role during the holiday season, is that, although it is a small area, most family members spend quiet a lot of time planning and discussing their holiday events to host or attend.  This wonderful little corner is also used for wrapping gifts and filing out Christmas cards, contemplating  holiday menus and discussing curfews.

I, for one, love to sit in the breakfast nook and and pretend to help my Mother while she prepares her traditional holiday baked goods. So, for that reason, I want to say “hear hear for the breakfast nook” and just so you understand the impact these wonderful areas have on most San Francisco locals, I have included some photos for your viewing pleasure.  Enjoy!