A Daydream

Just imagining what I would pack if I were accompanying my pal, Rye, to Provence this summer.  I've narrowed it down to these seven necessities.  

Photos: Ray Ban Club Masters; Roarke Aztex necklace; Eena tote [via] Canoe; Frank Leder lined dress [via] Lark; J.Crew suit; Essie 'Main Squeeze' polish; Hasbeen Peep Toes 

Books to be remembered

Oh how I loved each of these books! The pages were well worn, spines completely broken and corners like they were made of squishy dough. Each character was a friend. Each image still vividly imprinted in my mind. My imagination grew because of these authors and illustrators. Thank you, Edens, Sendak, Bemelmans, dePaola and Steig. I hope, one day, to pass them along to my little ones.

All books available on Amazon.com (photos via)

Thought for a Sunday afternoon

Artwork unknown. If you know to whom this belongs please let me know! 

Girl Crush

Emmanuelle Alt.  Fashion Director French Vogue.  I think she's pretty f'ing cool.  

Photos: Jak & Jil Blog

One martini is alright, two is too many, three is not enough.

So says James Thurber and I really could not agree more. Thankfully, martinis, mojitos and the like will be of plenty at the Balche event tonight. There, I will be learning how to make the perfect cocktail. Skidoo. I don't think the classic, yet unpopular, Negroni is on the list, but it's a drink I plan on mastering.  Every summer I pick a drink to become my liquid mascot of the season and this Campari delight fits the bill perfectly.  For those of you who share my fancy of red beverages give this one a try.  Cin Cin! 

Original Negroni Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 oz gin
- 1 oz Campari
- 3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth

Combine all ingredients in an ice filled shaker. Shake until well chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a burnt orange. To make a burnt orange, cut about a 1 1/2 inch by 1 inch peel off a ripe navel orange. Be sure to get just the skin and as little of the pith as possible. Holding the orange peel between thumb and index fingers with skin facing out, hold a lit match over the glass and with the orange peel about an inch away from the flame squeeze the peel quickly and firmly between your fingers. When done correctly, a burst of flame will come from the oils being released from the peel leaving an aroma and adding a note of orange to the cocktail. Simply drop the twist in the drink.

This Italian concoction was invented in the early 1900s. Mixed with gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, it was named after Camillo Negroni in Florence who always ordered the same cocktail. Today Negroni is often consumed as a pre-dinner cocktail to stimulate the appetite for dinner. Aperitif is a European invention and it came to America in the early 1900s. Campari is also an Italian product, invented by Gaspare Campari in the early 1800s.  

* Recipe via Cocktail Times

Starring Vincent Chase

Well, we're off to Medellin bright and early tomorrow morning. Eager to see more of Colombia. Lots of photos to be taken and hopefully gobs of mustachioed men with golden guns to buy me lots of champagne. Cha cha cha.  

Photo: "Entourage," HBO

Such a pretty view

Wow! Whatta lovely cottage! Came across it on My Scandinavian Retreat and instantly became jealous of whomever gets to live there. Thankfully the pangs of envy were immediately trumped by the sweet ebbing of a daydream. Sipping hot tea in the morning sun, serenely perched on the deck.  A few hours exploring the scores of greens, grays and blues on the rocky shore.  Crossword puzzles on the daybed until a late afternoon nap has stolen me away.  And finally ending up at the most darling table ever set for a tasty supper with someone I love.  Oh, and for some reason champagne was tucked tightly within each imagined vignette. And instead of "for some reason," I meant "obviously."  

Photos by Stuart McIntyre/KML Design via My Scandinavian Retreat 

Happy Birthday

Today in 1606 England adopted the Union Jack as its flag.  Enjoy some other English delights...

Insanely delicious, Jamie Oliver's Fish & Chips

Get squeaky clean with Lightfoot's Soap, milled in England since 1890

Spruce up your pad with something from this oh so British site

'Live in' Gosford Park 

Any idea what "hand prick-stitched vent" means? Well, read up here and get your man looking like a proper gentleman.  

Flag Photo by: Lady Vervaine via Getty Images 

Holy Hiatus!

My goodness...it's been ages! Not sure what happened. Where on earth has the time gone? Visitors aside these past several weeks have kept me from S4U for a number of reasons. None of which are at all interesting or important. [Sigh.] Now, here I sit on a gloomy Monday morning, quite happy to be posting once again. I played hooky from my Spanish class today. My yellow mug is filled for a second time with Oma coffee. Just went through all of the photos from mom and auntie's visit. What a wonderful time we had here in Bogota! So lucky I am to have them. The rest of the day will be spent organizing the storage room. Bins, bags and bunches of labels. Perhaps I'll grab the last of the dawdling jelly beans while strategically planning dog walks to avoid the rain drops as best as possible. 

Apologies for the yawn of a journal entry. Had to start somewhere. More things OF INTEREST to come. 

Photo by: Hedi Slimane