11:11

I've been seeing this a lot lately and I make the same wishes everytime! Hehe.

happy weekend!

This weekend is filled with birthday celebrations!

There will be lots of little black dresses, drinks, & fun.

bon appétit!

I fulfilled my French desires today by eating lunch with some good friends at a hidden bistro in Orlando. Everything about this place was perfect: the portion, taste, & service. I don't know why I haven't been here before!

Escargot

Wild Salmon Burger

Crème Brûlée

august roses

Just received these in the mail..18 long stem roses. It's a nice gesture but whoever bought these can stop.. :)

music crush : melody gardot

Melody has a voice reminiscent of Norah Jones with a mix of Ella Fitzgerald's melodies. I was immediately at peace just by listening to the sweeping orchestral sounds in her song, "Baby I'm A Fool".

Click here to listen to the song.

secret charm

happy weekend!

Have a fantastic weekend!

It looks like it's going to be a relaxing weekend for me. Catching up with friends over a glass of wine or martini.

quality & authenticity

I'm currently re-reading one of my favorite books, Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl. And here's an excerpt that I think most of us can learn a thing or two from.

She Values Quality and Authencity

My friend Frédérique embodies that very French principle of quality over quantity. She has an almost singular precision in the way she dresses (a closet full of just the right clothes), in what she owns (things with meaning, things that evoke memories), in all the things that inhabit her world. Even objects that are propped up against a corner or thrown onto the floor of her country home (a battered hoe, a pair of muddied, well-worn boots) have a certain particularity about them, as if they were each imbued with a soul. Less is truly more, as long as it's an expression of quality and authenticity. She resists the expendable, the disposable, the trendy, the faux. She knows that having too much choice does not necessarily give her more ways to define herself. She prefers the singular wild flower to the pre-made bouquet. The small car to the big machines. She invariably buys one perfect high-quality dress and not several less satisfying, on-sale ones. And she instinctively knows how to mix and match with natural creativity.

The French girl's preference for quality over quantity ties directly into her ability to say No: No to excess in people, things or ideas; No to what doesn't grace her world. Quality over quantity is not just about material things. Who inhabits her world, who feeds her mind, who's allowed into her private garden? The French girl would rather spend time alone than with people who simply fill a void. As Frederique puts it, "Give me Proust or a good short story over idle chatter any time."

ohh la la

Currently in search of my inner French girl and how to attain that 'je ne sais quoi' that French women seem to have.

new york city

So I may have been a bit dramatic in my previous post when I said I didn't want to visit NYC anymore. Every trip I make up there gets better each time and as much as I'd like to stop going up there, I can't. The one thing that's got me craving for more NYC is the shopping. If Orlando had more good and affordable one-of-a-kind stores then I wouldn't have to be in this situation. But I suppose one more trip wouldn't hurt..it's always nice to spend more time with my out of state buddies.

happy {early} weekend!

Hello there. I just wanted to write something quick before I leave for my next trip. Hopefully this will be the last of my NYC trips. Not that I hate New York or anything but I should really start traveling to new places, you know? This weekend should be interesting since it's going to be just the girls. Lets see what crazy things we're going to do this time..

I hope that you find yourself in many adventures this weekend.

Au revoir!

vintage elegant wedding

Found this charming outdoor wedding on style me pretty. From the crystals, peonies, table linens, cake, to the bride, everything about this wedding is simply beautiful. Kudos to Ariel Yve for planning the wedding.


1.-2.) raya photography

5 lessons about how to treat people

-- Author Unknown

1. First Important Lesson - "Know The Cleaning Lady"

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.


2. Second Important Lesson - "Pickup In The Rain"

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home.

A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.


3. Third Important Lesson - "Remember Those Who Serve"

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "50¢," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "35¢!" she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.


4. Fourth Important Lesson - "The Obstacles In Our Path"

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand - "Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition."


5. Fifth Important Lesson - "Giving When It Counts"

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save her."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

weekend getaway : atlanta

{Photo Credit: Janet Tong}

I will be back for the shrimp shumai and scallop dynamite.
I hope your weekend was just as exciting, inspiring and beautiful.