Sunday morning (my favorite time to cook) I begin to bang pots and pans getting organized before I chop my vegetables. I had gone to bed thinking about what I would make the next day. Cold weather has me craving comfort foods. Craving warm meals means I am thinking of my Polish babysitter Zofia who …
Pen Pals: Writing Letters That Capture Innocent Whispers
Did you ever have a pen pal when you were younger? I had several and I’m sad to say that I’ve lost touch with most of them. I remember skipping back to the house after checking the mailbox when I was younger and I couldn’t wait to open my letter from my pen pal Susanna …
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Pilobolus Dance Company: charming audiences with their je ne sais quoi
You know that feeling you get when you dream you’re flying? Well, that’s the feeling created by watching Pilobolus; watching them is like being in a dream world. I imagine the Paul Klee painting “Fish Magic” scene because only in this dream world would underwater skating and roly-poly people co-exist. Pilobolus Dance Company recently performed to …
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Très Ashley Gift Guide 2011
The holidays are here and it’s time to go shopping. I’ve got some ideas for everyone on your list that I think you’ll like. To me a personalized gift is the most thoughtful… something with a hand-embroidered initial or a photo… When in doubt, make it personal. Consider handmade gifts from etsy.com or fab.com and …
Scent of a Woman: Diane
Perfume has power; an alluring scent makes a lasting impression. A woman’s fragrance is like a DVF dress, it’s about the way you feel when you put it on…sexy, confident, and classic; and like a DVF dress, perfume should keep speaking even if no one is talking. Women have been seducing men for hundreds …
A sick day, a snow day, a just say no day
There are days when we should stop and smell the chicken and dumplings and listen to some Christmas carols. Sometimes when we are so consistently scheduled, it feels really good to break the pattern. When you have a sick child, things have to change and we are all forced to slow down and say no …
Giselle: bringing romance back to life
A poor peasant girl falls in love with a man out of her league. It’s a story we’ve all heard before, a young girl who yearns for what she cannot have. Remember that feeling you had when you first fell in love….there’s a dance your heart does and Giselle’s heart was shining through her every …
Poetry…the greatest of all arts
People recite poetry at the most memorable events of our lives…retirements, marriages, funerals, graduations, anniversaries, birthdays…poems are often personal and intimate. They may also express humor, spirituality and whimsy. Regardless of the subject matter, poetry can make us think and help to put things into perspective. Just as in art, every person may see and …
Blondie, Still Number One
Blondie recently released their ninth album, Panic of Girls which is full of international flowing flavors like Latin, French, reggae…all of those multilingual sounds on one album scream where they’ve been and breathe like a fine wine that improves with age. I’ve been sipping Blondie with deliberate pleasure since I saw them last week at …
Le Chignon
The chignon hairstyle is a classic, timeless “up-do”, yet it still manages to be modern. Any age can wear a chignon and feel instantly classy and coquettish; just add some red lipstick, perfume and you’re elegant and ready for any occasion. Sometimes known as a French twist, the Chignon is a classic bun with a …
I Don’t Know How She Does It…She Juggles!
After a long week of juggling, I could not wait to see the new movie that I knew (after reading the book) I could relate to. Allison Pearson’s 2002 novel, I Don’t Know How She Does It, was described by Oprah Winfrey as “the national anthem of working mothers.” Kate Reddy, a sophisticated investment …
Soups on!
Soup is like a softly glowing and occasionally crackling fire in the fire place; it’s soothing, therapeutic, and nourishing all the way to the bones. Soup warms the belly, gently bathes the soul and simply does the body good. Louis XV silver soup tureen King Louis XV made soup an upper-class dish. He turned soup from …