And a Happy Valentine's Day to You Too

Happiness is Zooey Deschanel being her quirky cute self. 

Less than happiness is finding out that the dress she wore on SNL this week was custom made for her and not in stores...

xxoo and a Happy Valentine's Day regardless!

Photo Courtesy of Pop Crush

Line your Dominos up

I subscribed to Domino magazine from the minute I first heard about it.  I received the first issue and every one after that.

And then for no reason whatsoever, I did the the unthinkable and threw them away during one of those reckless cleaning sprees we all go on every now and then.  And we know how the rest of the story goes...the recession happened, print publications got (unfairly) beat up upon and my beloved Domino folded.

Although not returning in its full glory, Conde Nast is throwing us a bone and putting a modified version of it back on shelves this spring.

This makes me happier than when I come across a fabulous rectangular white tufted ottoman coffee table against a bright chevron patterned rug....

T Joe's For The Vin

I could dedicate an entire blog only to the wonders that exist in a Trader Joe's store (seaweed chips, virgin coconut oil, agave syrup...ok i'll stop).

For the sake of brevity, I'll focus just on their wine section and one bottle in particular that I always go back to.  Its not the most amazing wine you will ever drink, it is by no means a bottle for your friend the wine snob.

It has bubbles, a bit of sweet and is refreshing all year long.  At a $5 price tag, it is great to stockpile a few for last minute hostess gifts.  I recently brought to a small gal gathering and it was an instant hit!

If you can make room in your cart next time you are there (and trust me I know how hard that can be) I highly reco you grab a bottle (or 5) of N.V. Le Grotte Lambrusco Dell'Emilia Bianco.

Cheers!

Have you seen........?

Midnight in Paris? 

As someone who is a sucker for Woody Allen and any witty movie with charming Europe as the backdrop, this was a must see for me.

The movie did not disappoint and the city was the star of the show.  The cast twirled and sparkled around it as they basked in the (Oscar-nominated) direction of Mr. Allen.  It made me want to read everything Hemingway wrote and covet everything Marion Cotillard and Rachel McAdams wore.  

Would highly recommend for a Francophile night in....Bordeaux optional.

 

Photos Courtesy of IMDB

Bananas for this bread

When life gives you bananas that are a tad too ripe for one's liking then one must bake banana bread!

Not only is it easy peasy, but it makes your house smell ah-mazing.

This recipe is as straightforward as they come. I left out the orange juice, didn't use a glass loaf pan (mental) and incorporated regular size chocolate chips, so it can be modified slightly.

I personally think it would be a simple make-ahead dessert for a dinner party - pair with some Chunky Monkey and enjoy :)

- T