I am extremely happy to report that I have finished the rough draft of my very first novel! For the past three months I have been working feverishly, yet happily. Now that I am faced with the rewrite, however, I feel that the real work is about to begin! *sigh*

But before I jump in, I am celebrating this minor accomplishment by going on a three week vacation to Portugal and England. I have never been to Portugal and am very much looking forward to a holiday by the sea...

This upcoming vacation is yet another opportunity for me to try and pack stylishly and efficiently... With my England trip last October I was highly dismayed to have packed way too much- I must have used only 50% of what I brought- which has made me a firm believer that lugging around excess baggage is never a good look.

So this time around I am going to try an experiment. For the entire three weeks I plan on only bringing minimal clothing- 2 cashmere sweaters, 2 pairs of jeans, 4 tops, 4 dresses, 1 bathing suit, 2 pairs of ballet flats, one pair of flip flops (for the beach), and a pair of heels.

I will either feel incredibly liberated with the lack of excess baggage, or I will curse the heavens that I didn't pack enough! Only time will tell...

I would love to know, how do you pack for a trip?


Image courtesy of: www.enjoyart.com

This past week I sampled Philosophy's newest fragrance, Unconditional Love. I've actually tried it three times in the last week as Philosophy has opened a flagship store near my home in Santa Monica and I find myself frequently walking by its open doors.

I will admit the first time I sampled Unconditional Love, I liked it instantly but decided to file it under "guilty pleasure" as the intensely sweet and fruity notes together reminded me of a summertime concoction that I used to wear from Bath and Bodyworks when I was a teenager.

But then I went to the post office and found myself standing in what seemed to be a never ending line. Lost in the reverie of daydreaming (what else is one to do in a long line at the post office?) I was brought out of my thoughts by the lady standing behind me who asked me what scent I was wearing. She said (and I quote) that I smelled "amazing".

Hmmm. This got me thinking. Maybe Unconditional Love wasn't such a throwaway after all. I'm not sure why I instantly label fruity and sweet smelling fragrances as unsophisticated but I had filed this one as such in my mind. The next day I went back and sampled it again, this time the sales girl gave me samples of the scent as well as the firming body emulsion and shower gel in the same fragrance...

And the verdict?

I've got nothing but love for Philosophy's Unconditional Love.

Unconditional Love contains fruity notes, white floral notes, hints of blackberry and black current and finishes off with a cashmere vanilla dry down.

The fragrance can be purchased at: www.philosophy.com

One thing I have yet to discuss on this blog is cooking. This topic has been a strange omission on my part as it is such a huge part of my life. I love to cook. Starters, main courses, desserts... I love it all! I am not a cook of the freestyle variety however, and always heavily rely on cookbooks to create my delights. Today, my parents were coming over for lunch and as I have had a recent yearning for French food I got out my trusty cookbook Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten- otherwise known as the Barefoot Contessa.

I'm a huge fan of the Barefoot Contessa's show and cookbooks- Ina has such a great way of creating delicious recipes that tend to look intimidating on the plate but aren't at all intimidating to make.

So for today's lunch? It was eggplant gratin with a simple salad. I love serving gratins as you can make them the night before and simply pop them into the oven about a half an hour before your guests want to eat. This gratin, which I had never made before, came out great and got rave reviews. But the piece de resistance? My dessert, a Coeur a la Creme. This delicious dish is similar to a panna cotta but done Parisian-style in a heart shaped mold and served with a dash of framboise sauce and some fresh raspberries. It is the easiest dessert in the world to make (another one that you prepare the evening before) and is a real show stopper for your guests.

There is nothing quite like an afternoon spent eating lovely food with the people you love...

I would love to know what you enjoy cooking...

Bon Apetite!

Barefoot in Paris can be purchased at: www.amazon.com

The last few weeks for me have been very busy and have gone by in a blur. I would like to thank my readers and fellow bloggers for sticking with me as I have become less the 'daily' connoisseur and more the 'every other weekly' connoisseur. I would, however, like to report that my book is coming along swimmingly and that I am having the time of my life writing it... so thanks again for all of your support.

OK, now on to my exciting observation!

I couldn't be happier to report that etiquette has made a comeback. Over the last few weeks I have noticed an interest and resurgence in the subject (and just in the nick of time too!)

I have mentioned in past posts my obsession with etiquette. With such shows like Ladette to Lady and From G's to Gents you could keep me happily occupied all season long... but this time around there is a new show on the block...

Fresh off of the success of From G's to Gents, MTV, together with producer Donald Trump, has created a new show entitled The Girls of Hedsor Hall. This is the American version of my favorite British import Ladette to Lady- it even has the same instructors! For those of you not familiar with the format, a handful of rather undesirable young... er... women, are sent to a finishing school in the English countryside, with the hopes of polishing up their act and becoming ladies.

As in the original, the young women in the American version are given school uniforms, a strand of pearls and are launched into lessons and experiences they have never had before; such things as: flower arranging, cookery and how to hold a knife and fork. In the beginning, as is typically the case, these women are completely out of their comfort zone. Fighting, binge drinking and obscenity-laden monologues ensue but eventually the weak are weeded out and the true gems are allowed to shine.

I am not sure why I am so excited that this show is on MTV. Maybe it's because I have noticed a recent turn for the worse concerning manners and etiquette, especially from younger girls and maybe this show will reach them and help them realize that there is more to life than a fake tan and a hook-up! I know that on this subject I am no angel, but I do feel that all of this is terribly important and can lead one down the right path in life.

So in honor of The Girls of Hedsor Hall, I have re-read my favorite book on etiquette: Debrett's Etiquette for Girls, by Fleur Britten. This book is for the modern lady and is chock-full of useful information regarding contemporary etiquette dilemmas. It reads like a conversation from a very knowledgeable best friend and even had me laughing out loud at various moments. So, I invite you to raise your champagne glasses in a toast to the art of being a lady... let's hope this is a trend that lasts. Cheers!

Debrett's Etiquette for Girls can be purchased at: www.amazon.com

Image provided by www.whatagirlneeds.co.uk

I'm not sure if the familiar urges for spring cleaning have just reached me early this year or if my home was crying out for an overhaul, but I have spent the past two weeks culling and cleaning chez moi. Not a junk drawer went unturned, not a picture frame undusted.

I tend to be a very tidy person anyway and always have a clean home. Every night before I go to bed I do a once over and make sure there are no dishes in the sink and that the cushions on my couch are propped up in an orderly fashion. There is nothing worse, to me, than waking up to a messy house. And, of course, I make my bed every morning without fail. (I think my mother told me when I was a kid that if I didn't make my bed, spiders would crawl into it- that scare tactic seemed to work wonders as I still do it today!)

However, just because it looks outwardly tidy does not an organized home make. I would hide things away in drawers, cupboards and baskets thinking that out of sight meant out of mind. The trouble is that whenever I would pass these drawers and cupboards I would get an uneasy feeling because I knew deep down that the clutter behind those doors was there to stay... until I dealt with it.

So I decided to tackle my home, one junk drawer at a time. I probably thew away 5 large trash bags full of things that I had been storing- talk about junk! Now, as opposed to having- count them- 4 junk drawers in my kitchen, taking up highly valuable space, I now have one drawer that I call my 'miscellaneous' drawer. It no longer contains 'junk', but has highly useful things like take out menus, nuts and bolts, errant pens and appliance manuals.

The best method for tackling junk drawers for me? Do one at a time. Dump everything out on the floor while you are watching television (preferably some cleanliness motivating show like Clean House, How Clean is Your House? or Anthea Turner Perfect Housewife). You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish in a half an hour- horrified at the trivial junk you've been holding on to- and proud that you have done something productive rather than merely wasting away in front of the television.

I am not sure how long this junk-drawer-free life will last, as I tend to be a very "going through a phase" type of person. But I aim to do my best.

So I would love to know... how many junk drawers do you have?

Image of Anthea Turner, Perfect Housewife courtesy of www.dailylife.com

I must admit that I have been in somewhat of a fragrance slump lately. I still enjoy reading reviews and entering discussions on some of my fellow bloggers' sites about the latest in the world of perfume, but I would find myself going without scent for days. I think I was just recharging my olfactory battery...

So I was surprised when I went to Sephora yesterday and wandered into the fragrance section to test their wares. I came across Guerlain's Figue Iris from their Aqua Allegoria collection.

The bottle was the first thing that called to me. Simplistic, yet opulent looking, I picked up Figue Iris. Figs are my favorite fruit and I have enjoyed iris scents like Prada's Infusion d'Iris, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was skeptical, however, as I have yet to find a fig fragrance for the body that speaks to me (I'm still not a fan of L'Artisan Parfumeur's Figure- although I haven't given up on it yet).

Let's just say that I got my proverbial "groove" back with this scent. Light and effervescent (perfect for one who is slowly entering back into the fragrant world), Figue Iris has a succulent fruity and powdery note. It is green and fresh and feels like the perfect fragrance for the emerging Spring.

In fact, I'm so used to not wearing scent lately that I forgot I had it on throughout the day and wondered what that 'heavenly aroma' was... I think that is always a good sign!

Guerlain's Figue Iris contains notes of Fig, Iris, Vanilla, Vetiver, Bergamot and Pink Grapefruit

Figue Iris can be purchased at: www.sephora.com

What a wonderful day to be alive...

A day of hope and new beginnings...

A proud day in American history...

Congratulations Mr. President.

Last night I went to see Revolutionary Road, the film directed by Sam Mendes and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. I must admit, I was terribly excited to see this film. Not only do I love both leading actors but this is the first time they have reunited on screen since Titanic, over a decade ago. Also, Winslet just won the Golden Globe for best actress for her portrayal of April Wheeler, a truly desperate housewife on the edge.

The film chronicles the marriage of Frank and April Wheeler, a young suburban couple living in Connecticut in the 1950's. Frank works in a cubicle at a steady office job, and April is an aspiring actress and a stay at home mom who watches over their two children. Their relationship is clearly disturbed, however, and they decide they want more from life than the typical suburban cliche that they are living. So they create a grand scheme to quit their jobs and life in Connecticut and move to Paris. The film follows this couple through their fights, infidelities, romances, scheming and more.

The film, for me, had its high and low points. Both performances by DiCaprio and Winslet were staggeringly good. There were also some stellar supporting characters that were thoroughly interesting. Unfortunately that was where my praise ends. The constant arguments by Frank and April were draining and left me feeling without compassion for their situation. Perhaps the film was too realistic for me- I think I wanted something more. I have heard that the original book by Richard Yates is a masterpiece, so I think rather than revisit the film in the future, I shall read the book.

I don't recommend giving the film a miss all together, however, as Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio have exhilarating chemistry. They truly are first class movie stars of the old school variety and even through the frustrating plot, the duo shines like a gem.

If you have seen the film, I would love to hear what you thought of it...

Image courtesy of: www.dailystab.com