Postcard From Paris!

Bonjour, my dears!



Missing you all terribly and wish you here!

XOXOX

- Jessie

Au revoir!

G and I are leaving for France this afternoon, and I must say that I will miss you all terribly! We will be gone for a little over a week, and I am SO looking forward to some relaxation and adventure all rolled into one!

I have everything packed and ready to go, but am keenly wishing that I would have found and ordered either one of these treasures in time to have as a tres chic carry-on!

Vintage Vinyl Makeup Case

Vintage Tweed Tote

Off I go! Hope you all have a FABulous week and I can't wait to share my trip with you when I get back!

** Both of these too-cute-to-be-trues can be found at the Etsy Shop Turquoise Heaven - shop away!

Busy as a BEE!

I must add that I HATE bees. Zoe caught two the other day (IN THE HOUSE) and they both ended up on my pillow. GAH!

I regret to inform you, dear readers, that there will be no Piperlime Pick today. (But feel free to check out their site for GRRREAT shooes! They are having their Limetag Sale right now - up to 40% off!)

I already did a shoe post this week, and I am scrambling to try and get ready to leave for France tomorrow (not to mention trying to get ahead on a whole week of work)!

Instead, I will tell you about this fantastic swap opportunity that is being organized by Abbey over at Aesthetic Outburst... here's the scoop:

"...a good old fashioned print swap! So, here’s how it'll work…

1. make some artwork...a drawing, collage, photo...whatever! The theme is open...it can be about anything you'd like (let's keep it clean though...no nudie shots, please and thanks :)
2. scan your image in at a high resolution (300 dpi or higher to make a good print)
3. print out ten copies of your artwork. The paper size needs to be 8.5" x 11" and image size no smaller than 6.5" x 9". Please be sure to use something other than bond/copy paper (let me know if you need paper suggestions)
4. mail your ten prints so they arrive to me no later than August 1, 2008 (international participants, please plan accordingly)
5. include a $5.00 ($7.00 for international participants) check or money order to cover shipping along with a small note with your full name and mailing address
6. wait patiently
7. you’ll receive a collection of ten prints made by ten other artists in the mail
8. kick back and enjoy your new art collection!!!

If this sounds great and you’d like to participate, please email me [Abbey] at hownowdesign [at] yahoo [dot] com and I’ll send you my mailing address. Hope to hear from you!"

I think I just might be participating (if I can get my act together in time) and I wanted to pass along the information!

This is not good bye, my lovlies... I am hoping to do a special Saturday post tomorrow morning... I am going to miss you all so much, both receiving your comments and reading your blogs!!!

Have a great Friday!

Funny Fug

Go Fug Yourself is a blog devoted wholely to the fashion mistakes and must-haves of the celebrity world. The writers are funny funny funny, and I always get a good laugh when I visit their site.

As I was catching up on their red-carpet-reviews for the Daytime Emmys, I came across this:

Raya Meddine from The Young and The Restless

slkdfhslifhaskljfaheoifjahnkfjhvksdskdjsk! I'm sorry, that should have been a capital ANKJDAHOHDALKSDALKHDLAKJDHKADHLAKHDAKJSD!

How that ever could have been passed off as a dress is beyond me, and this is what the fuggers had to say about it...

"Now I'm one giant black flower away from being her proctologist. Also, I know this is going to make me sound twelve, but I can't help it: While I understand WHY the flower is placed where it is, it's also totally unfortunate, because there it gives off the gross impression that Raya had an unfortunate accident in the limo.

I guess you could say I'm not a fan."

HA! You can find the full post here.

Endless Apologies

I feel awful, and I've just got to come clean.

Last week, I was unfaithful.

Disloyal.

Sneaky, even.

I was really in need of something good. Something that would fulfill my cravings. Something saucey and romantic, with a little bit of edge...

So, I broke away from what I know and went here.

And I got these.

Nine West Forger Sandal - $49 (SALE)

I am a changed woman. Endless.com is a lot like Piperlime in that they have a great selection and really great sale prices, but get this... not only are their returns and shipping costs free, but the free shipping? HAPPENS OVERNIGHT! That's right. I ordered a different pair first (at about 8 o'clock at night), and they arrived on my doorstep before NOON the next day.

The shoes got to me in under 15 hours, people. Amazing.

They ended up being a little different than I had hoped so I sent them back (for free) and ordered a new pair. The new pair were just as speedy, and even cuter (see above) so they have definitely found their new home at Casa Lucky Stone. I wore my new darling shoes yesterday, and they were great.

I can't bear to break up with an old classic, but this new site has really got me going!

Fervere (fur-vair'-ay)

One of the things I love doing most in life?

Eating.

I eat all the time, and am always on the hunt for new recipes, new restaurants, and new foods that I love. An all time favorite of mine has always been really great rustic French bread. The crustier the better. Last week, I found the KC mecca of deliciously baked bread.

"Fervere is the Latin root word for "passion" and "fermentation" -- ingredients for great bread."

Fervere is a little shop on 17th and Summit (just west of downtown), where they truly pride themselves on authentically baked European style bread. The oven they use is a replica of those made in the 1800s, and they only have to heat it once a week... that's how long it holds it's cooking power!

They carry all varieties and I plan on trying them all someday, but when I popped in with my lovely boss on Friday, she bought my co-worker and I a loaf of the Pain de Campagne. It was absolutely delish. Perfectly fresh and soft on the inside (but not too doughy), and just the right amount of crustiness (but not enough to cut the roof of your mouth when you take a bite... I HATE that.) G and I had it for lunch on Saturday with different variations of spreads and cheeses, and then I purposely saved just enough to make something super special for brunch on Sunday.

Now let me preface the following by saying that I am not normally a fan of such heavy breakfast fare, but I couldn't let that delicious bread go to waste, and I knew we probably would not eat it during the week.

So.... I decided to try out a very promising French toast recipe (perfect as preparation for our upcoming trip!) and it turned out so well that I just had to share it with you! I definitely think one of the most important parts of the recipe is to have a really great crusty, fresh bread, but I'm sure you could make do with whatever you have.

Regretfully, I didn't take pictures - so this image will just have to do! Yum!

French Toast with Hot Buttered Rum-Maple(-Strawberry) Syrup
Adapted from the First & Forever Bride and Groom Cookbook*

(changes are indicated in parenthesis)

Serves 2

1/2 cup half & half (SKIM MILK)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon granulated white (BROWN) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon, plus a pinch of kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4-6 thick slices of crusty bread
1/3 cup (SUGAR FREE) maple syrup
1 tablespoon light rum
(handful of diced strawberries... could also use bananas or blueberries)
powdered sugar for dusting

Whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and the cinnamon in a wide, shallow bowl. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Dip the bread in the egg mixture, coating both sides well. Arrange the bread in the skillet and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Transfer toast to warmed plates.

Remove the skillet from the heat and combine the maple syrup, the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the rum, and a pinch of kosher salt in the pan. Swirl until the butter melts, and then add strawberries. Pour over the French toast, dust with powdered sugar, and serve immediately.

*Note: The recipes in this cookbook are amazing. This is a GREAT wedding gift, but honestly, I'd want it even if I weren't married.

This was my very first time making French toast and I was so pleased with how it turned out, I think I just might officially make it my specialty! Light as a souffle with a hint of rum and warm strawberries... I'm going to have to hold myself back from having it every week!

What do you think? Won't you join us for brunch???

Makes Me Wanna Dance!

I just came across this video by way of a commenter on Mackin Ink, and even though Karey posted it already, I am going to put it up, too... because I LOVE it!



I watched it three times in a row and I cannot stop smiling! Honestly. This dude has got some serious moves, and you cannot possibly be in a bad mood after watching this!

More info about Matt is available here.