This is Not an April Fools Joke....

It has been almost four years since I last posted to this blog. F O U R years. Wow!

I originally started blogging four years ago when I was still in graduate school. Sick of the monotony of reading psych textbooks and writing psychological reports, I searched for a creative outlet and sense of community in the blogging world. My enthusiasm lasted for four posts, and then graduate school, looking for an internship, and all the other thrills of becoming a mid-twenty-something took over my life. I had the best of intentions, I promise. Girl Scout honor.

Over the last four years a lot has happened. I graduated. I started my first job as a school psychologist working in a middle school. My husband went back to school to get his MBA. He started a new job. We bought our first house. We moved. And as of late, I celebrated a birthday and entered a new decade.

I made a promise to myself that I would not let the craziness of life take over my life anymore, and that I would find time, even if it were just a few moments a day, to do the things that make me happy and leave me feeling satisfied rather than casting them aside as "luxuries" only to be enjoyed once the tasks of the day to day are finished. I did make this promise in January, so clearly I'm a bit slow at fulfilling resolutions, but I figured better late to the party than to not show up at all!

I want this blog to be an extension of those things that I enjoy so much--cooking, entertaining, crafting, gardening, fashion, decorating, and most importantly (because I'm a psychologist and I can't help myself), finding ways to reach out and connect with others.

So I can't promise that I will post every day (or every other day at that!), but I can sincerely assure you that I will be present more often. Because really, if I can't find the time in my life to enjoy the things that I enjoy, what's the point?

It's Here! It's Finally Here!!!!

I am beyond excited right now.

For months now, the illustrious J Crew Stardust Pencil Skirt has evaded my prowess as a shopper.

I have searched J Crew stores, I have agonized at seeing my size for sale on Ebay only to find that the vendor is selling it for almost twice the original retail price, and I have posted for months and months on J Crew Aficionada's "Great Weekly Exchange" in hopes that a fellow J Crew enthusiast would bear parting with this pretty little gem of a skirt.

Alas, since November I have coveted this sequined beauty.

You can imagine my exuberance upon looking at last week's J Crew Spring sale on the website to find a popback! AND IT WAS IN MY SIZE! I'm petite so you can understand that finding a P6 in the gunmetal color after months and months of searching can only be like what I imagine seeing a mirage of a waterfall in the middle of the Sahara must be for a lost traveller who is dying for water. Could it be? Is it really you, J Crew Stardust Pencil Skirt in P6? Will we at last be united? My heart was racing! MUST. ORDER. NOW.

I immediately ordered the skirt in a frenzy and after a week of waiting it arrived tonight and it fits PERFECTLY! Not to mention that I purchased it for only $69.99! Again, my husband could not even argue with that price!

It has been a good day indeed. Now I just need a fancy cocktail party to show it off at!

What J Crew pieces do you covet?

Simple Sundays

Sunday is my favorite day of the week.

Yes its sad that the countdown to the work week begins as soon as you wake up, but for me Sundays have always been a day of rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation in preparation for the long week ahead.

I do laundry, which oddly is comforting to me. I catch up on schoolwork, reading my magazines, running last minute errands. Or sometimes I simply just be. I do homey things with my husband that make life sweet.

Today, our Simple Sunday activity was re-planting our annual herb garden.

I a) being Italian and thus loving to cook and b) wanting to make our apartment balcony look more homey and less generic and boring, look forward to the warmer weather (and by warmer I mean 50's in New England terms) so that my husband and I can break out the window boxes and planters and fill them with new culinary herbs. I love how pretty and green they look on my balcony, and I swear there is something so comforting and heartwarming about opening your patio door, stepping out, and picking your own thyme or basil to use in tonight's dinner preparation.

Usually in the past we have planted Italian parsley, basil, rosemary, and thyme (naturally, the super Italian herbs) but this year we have expanded our little herb family to include chives, Italian oregano, and sage. As my husband sat on our cramped little balcony making a mess of everything, I began dreaming up new recipes to try. Below is dear husband making a mess of himself and his surroundings (typical!)

Giada De Laurentiis is by far my favorite chef. Obviously I love her because she is Italian like me, but I really enjoy her perspective on food. In Italian culture, food is not just meant for eating, but rather it is a full-bodied, soulful experience. Cooking and eating and enjoying food is luxurious, sinful, romantic; it is truly a treat for the senses. When I cook, I take my time to savor the aromas of the ingredients I use. I stir. I chop. I conquer.

Giada's recipes are a mix of traditional Italian flavors with a fusion of her upbringing in modern California. Truly refreshing. I swear, I've made so many of her recipes and have yet to make one that was not fabulous.

Back to the herbs.

As I said, I was sitting there thinking of a recipe that I could create using simply herbs. I love to taste and enjoy each of their flavors without being overpowered by other main ingredients in a recipe. And Giada's gremolata came to mind.

Gremolata is a mixture of herbs, usually garlic, and other flavors that is used almost always as an edible garnish of sorts that you can use on top of meats, fish, or even on top of soups or crostini-type appetizers. It offers a fresh burst of flavor and I really enjoy the taste.

Here is my favorite Giada gremolata, I love how it tastes on grilled or pan-seared chicken or hearty fish such as tilapia:

Giada's Gremolata:

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced rosemary leaves
• Pinch salt
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Combine the chopped parsley, lemon zest, garlic, minced rosemary, and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper in a bowl. Cover and reserve until serving.

(taken from the Food Network website:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/turkey-osso-buco-with-parsley-and-rosemary-gremolata-recipe/index.html )

Do you plant an herb garden in the spring? What are your favorite simple herbed recipes?

J Crew Flip Flop Obsession

Confession: I own wayy too many pairs of J Crew flip flops!

In fact, for my wedding last August, I bought COORDINATING grosgrain ribbon flip flops for my maid of honor and bridesmaids (and me, of course!) to wear in pink and yellow stripes, which matched the colors/decor of my wedding. And they were on Final Sale! Even my husband couldn't argue me on this one!

And look at how happy our cute toes look!

If it were not for living in New England and having to deal with the Nor'Easters, crazy rainy seasons, and that whole frostbite thing, I'm pretty sure I would never take them off. In fact, I am wearing my seahorse critter flip flops from 2005 right now. And I have at least 3 more different pairs in my closet. *sigh*

Maybe this is starting to become a problem...

Let me know, do you have a favorite flip flop that you wear constantly/buy multiples of?

Hello, and Welcome!

I'm new at this blog thing.

I'm a newlywed, (late) twenty-something living life with my hubby and 2 kitties in a beachy town near Boston.

By day, I am a graduate student and intern, working tenaciously to finish my degree and finally be employed.

By night, I read blogs, do wayy too much online shopping, and am constantly on the search for new ways to redecorate my apartment, new recipes to try, and other fabulous things that make me smile.

I'm blonde, which means naturally I a) like to have fun and b) sometimes say silly things.

I heart sarcasm.

I love love love all things pertaining to cooking, entertaining, fashion, and of course, J Crew (its a love, not an addiction).

I admire Martha Stewart more than I should be willing to admit.

I'm crafty, clever, witty, and love to be creative.

I dream of The Food Network.

My philosophy is simple: I believe that home means a place with love, laughter and fun, a place of comfort, quiet, and peace. I believe that a life filled with friends and family gathered around a table with a good wine and a big bowl of something yummy is one of life's simple pleasures.

So pull up a chair, new friends, and join me in enjoying the lovely little graces in life : )