Pizza With Pizazz

As women on the go, I'm sure you can all agree that if there's not shopping or writing or organizing or cleaning to do, there's a party to attend, company to entertain or friends to visit. It can be a whirlwind just to get through the day, and any tips on how to make things even a tiny bit easier are very much appreciated. Which is why I've decided to share one of my absolute favorite until-now-top-secret recipes: Peach Pesto Pizza. It's extremely simple and quick to whip together, makes a unique statement and is the perfect spring and summer party pleaser! Trust me when I say it could not be any easier. You just cook pre-packaged pizza dough in the oven according to the package directions (just to crisp it up a bit), spread a jar of your favorite pesto over the top, then sprinkle it with slices of ripe tomatoes and peaches, as well as fresh basil leaves and salt and pepper to your liking. Voila! Instant classic. And if you have extra time and feel so inclined, you can make the exact same recipe with homemade pizza dough and homemade pesto, which really makes it feel special!

Here's a shopping list, just to make life even that more simple. Enjoy!

1 pre-packaged pizza dough round
1 jar of pesto
2 tomatoes
2 peaches
fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Tiny Dancer

Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a prima ballerina. I took the classes, wore the tutus, learned the routines and shined in the spotlight doing assemblés across the stage. Much to my little girl wide-eyed horror, I saw one of the teenaged dancer's raw and mangled toes, and from that moment on, I swore off dancing forever! I still do dream of being Coppelia's Swanhilda, pirouetting into Franz' strong arms. But alas, the fabulous image will have to stay tucked into the private corners of my own mind. Sigh.

 

Photo captions from top to bottom: heartsinsand2.blogspot.com, eatsleepbreathe-dance.tumblr.com, eatsleepbreathe-dance.tumblr.com, favim.com, weheartit.com

Gem Of A Bottle

Having a cocktail cart is classy. Having a cocktail cart with geode topped bottles? Très chic times 10! And Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere came up with a fabulous idea: Use craft glue to attach geodes bought from a craft store to inexpensive bottle stoppers. Voila: budget friendly glam look!

Vanity Fair

Oh the pleasures of being a woman: Immersing yourself in everything gorgeous, celebrating beauty, embracing femininity. All things we can do unabashedly, whenever we want. And it's a great feeling, right?! Made even all the more wonderful with girly accoutrements and furnishings. One such delight that, in my opinion, takes the cake is a vanity. The right piece can be stunning, and just the touch of ladylike lusciousness that every woman deserves.

 

Photo credits from top to bottom: qualityrivets.blogspot.com, jenesaisquoifashion.blogspot.com, lyndsxo-glamourmoms.blogspot.com, lyndsxo-glamourmoms.blogspot.com,pinterest.com, qualityrivets.blogspot.com, weheartit.com

All Is Gold

Randomly found this poem, and it just seemed so perfect for the month!

A Golden Day
by Paul Laurence Dunbar

I Found you and I lost you,
All on a gleaming day.
The day was filled with sunshine,
And the land was full of May.

A golden bird was singing
Its melody divine,
I found you and I loved you,
And all the world was mine.

I found you and I lost you,
All on a golden day,
   But when I dream of you, dear,
     It is always brimming May.  

 

Photo credits from top to bottom: citified.blogspot.com, dreamyspaces.blogspot.com, whatfashionis.com

Mama Mia!

Wishing you all a simply divine Mother's Day! Here's to all of us fabulous women who do the tough job so wonderfully! ox

 

Photo credit: stellaholiday.blogspot.com

Glam Camp

I've had a lot of offers to go camping as of late, and while I definitely love the outdoors and nature and fishing and fires (and s'mores!), a part of me just wants to do it the good ol' fashioned way: Like a little girl locked in her room with nothing but her teddy bears as friends and a good book as entertainment! Ah, the simple life. ;)

 

Photo credit: mixedplateblog.com

Ladies' Lunch

The days are becoming more and more beautiful, and with that has come an influx of girlfriends stopping by for chats (that of course include plenty of talk about shoes, boys and shopping!). I always try to be prepared with fresh flowers from the garden and lots of bubbly. And it makes for a simply fantastic time!

P.S. If you like the lunch look seen above, check out a few of these items from our boutique!

Vintage Watering Can

Burlap Placemats

Jeanne-d-Arc Living Candlesticks

French Ceramicware

Pink Hydrangeas

Ruffled Curtain Panels

 

Photo credit: ecosalon.com

Ride Like The Wind

When I think of Paris, I think of romance. When I think of romance, I think of horseback riding. But can all three go together? Unbelievable, yet oh-so-true! Just 20 minutes outside of the city via metro line 7 lies Equivil, a riding center with over 50 horses which offers after-work riding lessons! The perfect date, if you ask me. But be prepared to speak fluent French, as lessons are unfortunately not offered in English. Meanwhile, if you're not lucky enough to be trotting in Paris, how about picking up this lovely bridle hook? As you slip off your coat for the day, you'll be reminded of how good it must feel to ride through French fields on a gorgeous four-legged beast with your lover beside you! xoxo

 

Photo credits from top to bottom: citified.blogspot.com, weheartit.com

Screen Gem

With the hype of Hollywood having taken over at global proportions, it's often forgotten that Paris was the true birthplace of cinema. Not only did the first moving images via the Magic Lantern of the 17th century become a craze in the City of Lights, film notables like the Lumière brothers showed some of the world’s first movies in the city. And guess what? Thomas Edison based his cinematoscope (the first movie camera) on prototypes debuted by Frenchman Etienne-Jules Marey at the 1889 World’s Fair! Hollywood has taken center stage since then, but why not pay homage to the original cinematic stomping grounds with a little movie break? We suggest paying a visit to the Latin Quarter's Le Champo, a cinema built in 1938 that is today known for its retrospectives on directors like Woody Allen, Stanley Kubrick and Claude Chabrol. And who knows: Maybe you'll meet a fellow moviegoer who sweeps you off your feet and entrances you with a romantic weekend that rivals those seen on the silver screen!

 

Photo credits from top to bottom: about.com, blogs.whatsontv.co.au