White Out

I've always been pretty exclusively in favor of all-white-all-the-time linens for both bedroom and bathroom. So much so, that I wrote a little something on the topic for Amazon's MyHabit. Click on over HERE to read and see some of my favorite white interiors. xo

Avocado Toast #2

One of my very favorite things in life is a perfect piece of avocado toast during an unhurried weekend morning with the newspaper scattered all around you, tea steaming aggressively from your freshly poured cup. But mostly the avocado toast part. I'm always peeking around for new iterations of this genius invention, and of course, Gwyneth Paltrow hit the nail on the head with this Vegenaise + avocado + Maldon sea salt combo.

It's not so much a recipe, as it is a method of assembly. All you do is toast a slice of your favorite bread (preferably something chewy with a good, crunchy crust), spread a layer of Vegenaise on it (the non-dairy, healthier, better-tasting version of mayo), slice up an avocado and place the slices on top, and sprinkle with a dusting of Maldon. If you'd like, you can sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top, but it's not necessary. Heaven on a plate. xo

Favorite Things: 01.08.13

Happy new year, everyone! I love starting out a new year with a fresh set of goals (i.e. for 2014: learn to play the guitar, finally get my favorite Bach piece memorized on the piano, eat healthier--blah, blah, blah, and most importantly, learn to relax more and let go of my eternally results-oriented mindset. I tend to lean a bit towards the type-A perfectionist paradigm, which is no bueno for the good, old stress levels sometimes.). I also love starting out a new year with a fresh set of favorite things, as it turns out, and here they are:

1. This stuff is like Fluff but healthy. Seashore churned honey w/ medicinal properties. What.

2. A sweet little blender for all the healthy soups and salad dressings I'll be making. See above for 2014 goals. This thing won "best overall blender" in Real Simple.

3. A happy emoji single earring. Because doesn't everyone need this?

4. A very beautiful handmade knife from Spanish artisans.

5. I'm in the middle of this crazy-long book and I cannot put it down.

6. Celine-plaid-print skate decks from Stop It Right Now to hang somewhere in my apartment and pretend I'm still a California girl.

Barneys New York Holiday Feature

One of my all-time favorite stores did a fun little feature on me (including my favorite holiday cookie recipe!). Click on over HERE to read. xo

Holiday Entertaining

Gave Amazon's MyHabit some of my favorite holiday entertaining tips! Click on over HERE to read. xo

Snowy Switzerland

I've been meaning to do a post on the wonderful abundance of truffles in Europe right now, and the amazing pasta I made with them, but I've been a bit of a gypsy lately, hopping around from Zurich, to Rome, back to Zurich, then to the Alps for a short weekend of complete and utter relaxation. I leave for Dublin tonight, where I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving (my first one abroad!), and then it's back to the States for me.

In the meantime, I thought I'd post a few pictures of the winter wonderland we ventured into on Saturday in the hamlet of Sporz, up in the mountains of Switzerland. We stayed at a hotel called Guarda Val, which included a beautiful spa, sauna, library, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and just 11 rooms in the whole place, all built out of a scattering of 300-year-old huts and barns. Everything smelled like wood smoke and coziness and holiday cheer, and we spent our days getting massages, drinking wine, playing cards in the library, drinking more wine, eating lots of traditional Swiss food, and not thinking too much about anything. It was bliss. Highly recommend. xo

Favorite Things: 11.14.13

I'm currently working from Zurich for the next couple of weeks, spending time with my boyfriend here and experiencing the cold (but beautiful) Swiss winter. Lately, I've found myself traveling way more than I ever have before, which has given me a perpetual case of jetlag no matter where I am, forcing me to pay more attention to self-care. Especially in these festive winter months, with people jetting all over the place to visit family and friends, it's important to be conscious about what you're ingesting, and to take particular pleasure in simple things like a perfect white hairbrush that stimulates the scalp, the best Japanese green tea on the planet, and a super powerful face serum that will make you glowy and dewy even after a gazillion hour flight with a chatty neighbor. Here are some of my favorite things to help out with the energy drain that comes with holiday travel. xo

1. This honeydew is super scarce, very delicious, and prized for its mineral content and medicinal properties. Drizzle over anything and everything. Also, while you're at it, check out everything else on QUITOKEETO. Favorite new site, thanks to a heads up from Tim from Lottie + Doof.

2. These D&A phyto enzyme capsules are something of a miracle. They combine 54 different natural organic herbs, and promote newfound energy, mental clarity, positivity, detoxification, appetite decrease, and a host of other benefits. The founder, James, went to Korea and worked with the most experienced, knowledgeable herbalist there to develop D&A, and I couldn't recommend it more.

3. My favorite, super warming green tea filled with bits of roasted rice, for a nutty taste. Yum.

4. A Mason Pearson hairbrush that detangles and stimulates the scalp.

5. It always helps to love your luggage! Obsessed with Everlane's very affordable Weekender.

6. This stuff will take 10 years off your face, I swear.