Indulge a little. Or a latte.

If you're anything like me, your days are a constant juggling act of what you have to accomplish, what you'd like to accomplish, and what you'd do if you had a moment to just relax. You may take on more than you should and regularly feel the results of doing so.

Far too often, I am a fast moving, list making, coffee drinking, "I will get everything on this list done!" (and usually don't, but shoot for the moon, right?) streak of a person. 

I am making an effort to slow down and set aside a few moments, here and there, to indulge in something that makes me happy and which may be totally frivolous.

With frivolity in mind, I picked this book up from Barnes & Noble last weekend:

It's important to note that: 

1. I am a sucker for all the books and other miscellaneous items that Barnes & Noble sells. To me, Barnes & Noble is the Target of the nerd world. 

2. I love, love, love the interior design/home project/fashion section of Barnes & Noble (I know, you're shocked.)

3. I once took a fashion course at LCC "just for fun" and the course book was the only textbook ever that I read a third of (while waiting to get new tires) before the first class even met. I just love fashion and fashion history. It's fascinating. 

So, I carved out a little time yesterday to start reading this book. I had two lattes, (and with zero guilt, either!) lit all the candles in the room and threw a luxurious, cream, Donna Karan blanket (fabulous wedding present!) over me and indulged completely.

As one of my favorite interior designers Martyn Lawrence Bullard would say, it was totally delicious.

In the spirit of indulging and taking a moment for myself, (and due to being in a period in my life where I have an insane amount of responsibility on my plate) I also did the following:

1. Passed on voluntary overtime at work yesterday.
2. Watched "Bunheads" (The best show you're probably missing. A verbal ping-pong, chocked full of pop culture topics put on by the same creator of "Gilmore Girls").
3. Took a looooong nap.

Giving yourself a little time each day may seem like a bit of a sacrifice, but it is SO fulfilling and the positive effects will spill over into every other aspect of your life.

Life really should be about the happy, little, frivolous things that bring the biggest joys. Sometimes, "to do" lists just have to wait. Don't worry Ms. Type A, those lists will be there waiting for you. Tomorrow. ;-)

Cheers,
Samara

Voila, Verismo

So, apparently, Santa knew I loved wine. I received lots and lots of wine glasses and wine for Christmas. No complaints from this girl, but it did leave me without one very desired item on my Christmas list.......

The Verismo. Fortunately, I have the world's best husband who spoils me. Rotten. :)

My husband came home with THIS recently. For you latte lovers out there, I'm sure you can smell the mix of coffee and milk already. And yes, that is Biggby caramel trying to camouflage itself in the picture. The store was out of Starbucks caramel, so we are testing this caramel out for now.     ;-)

So, what is the Verismo, you ask? 

The Verismo, simply put, is a way to bring Starbucks into your home.

I can't quite remember if it was during my mom's campaign and our wedding planning or the beginning of grad school that I started becoming a bit obsessed with Starbucks caramel macchiatos, but the drink has become a dietary staple for me.

 

When I opened up my Verismo, this was the first thing I saw...

How did they know? No, I could not wait to make my first Starbucks beverage!

The setup of the Verismo machine was super easy. (Even for you right-brained people who get slightly annoyed at the thought of even having to read directions. You just want your java--stat!)

The only thing I had to do to get started was:

1. Fill the water tank with water.
2. Plug the machine in.
3. Place a cup on the cup tray.
4. Run the "rinse cycle" seven times. (You only need to run the rinse cycle seven times before the very first use.)

Oh, and the "rinse cycle" is super easy. It consists of pushing this button.

Voila! I was ready to go!

Of course, my first drink of choice was the caramel macchiato.

Four ingredients existed:

1. Milk pod 
2. Espresso pod
3. Vanilla syrup
4. Caramel sauce
 
Here we go!

1. Measure two teaspoons of vanilla syrup and place it in your coffee mug.

2. Place your mug on the tray under the spout.

3. Take a milk pod and place it in the top of the machine. Close lid and press the cup button (top, far right button on display screen).

 

 

 4. Take an espresso pod and place it in the top of the machine. Close lid and press the espresso button (smallest cup icon, top left button).

 

5. Repeat the espresso cycle.

6. Place two teaspoons of the caramel sauce into your cup. 

 

Stir and enjoy!

Oh, and FYI--the caramel macchiato was delicious and very comparable to the store version. Now I can have caramel macchiatos at home. DIVINE. I can't wait to have my mom over for a latte.

Cheers,
Samara

 

 

Cancun is Calling

Look what arrived in the mail! 

 

Finally. My updated passport with my married name! Just in time, too. Tomorrow I will be three little weeks away from being whisked off to my family's cottage by the Caribbean sea. Here's a picture I took a couple of years ago on our terrace. Isn't it beautiful? 

OK, so we obviously don't actually have a cottage. The cottage bit is our little joke. So many families we know have cottages "up north" or "by a lake". We've never owned a cottage, but for the past ten years, my family has enjoyed the benefits of a timeshare in Cancun, Mexico. Since it's a timeshare, we stay at the same place every year. So, it's our "cottage by the sea". 

We hop on a plane like little Michigan snowbirds every year in the winter. The white sand in front of our hotel never gets hot as it's actually seashell crushed sand. And might I add that yoga in this locale takes yoga to another level?

There is nothing like soothing meditation music, the sound of the sea, a gentle breeze blowing over you and your feet gently sinking into the cool sand while you move through the yoga positions to relax a stressed soul!

Over the years, we've gotten to know the workers and nearby restaurant owners, so, we feel like it's our little home away from home.

Here is THEE BEST guacamole in the entire world. If I could ship this guacamole to Michigan, I would. 

This picture of my favorite dish was taken at a family owned restaurant on La Isla de las Mujeres near Cancun called Rene and Rene's (wife and husband team). The restaurant is about the size of a small home kitchen. The food is delicious and the owners (who are also your only servers) are warm and friendly.

For years, I've thought how romantic it would be to take strolls on the Cancun sand with someone special. And now for the first time, I get to share this experience with the MOST special person in my life--my husband.

Can't wait to get away and relax in the sun and warmth with my husband! 

Happy Friday, friends!

Cheers,
Samara

High Tea, High Fashion and Hijinks

So, who watches the Bravo channel? Raise your cocktail ring-adorned hands high. Me too. It's a slight obsession, really. It didn't start out that way. It started out as a simple way to let my brain relax in a fast-paced left-brained world of analyzing insurance benefits, approving and overseeing vendor contracts and approving big budgets. With each new show that Andy introduced, (that's Andy Cohen, Executive Producer of the Bravo channel for all you non-Bravo watchers) I fell in love with him and the channel a little more.

The channel is a mix of fashion, art, interior design, drama, luxurious living, and entertainment. It's a beautiful little oasis for right-brained people like yours truly. It's a place where being eccentric is highly valued, and people agree with me that it's OK to wear big, bold jewelry to the grocery store because....well, it's Tuesday, and doesn't everyone, darling?

So, when Bravo started airing previews of its upcoming show "Million Dollar Decorators" awhile back, my artsy little heart had palpitations. Not only was it a new Bravo show, it was about interior design, which I LOVE. No, I'm no expert, and I don't run around trying to impress anyone with some technique I read online or a class I plan on taking. Interior decor is just innate to me. (Read: I'm not saying I'm great, just saying that doing it and loving it comes natural! Being "good" at interior design is really quite subjective.)

"Million Dollar Decorators" follows a set of well-known (as in, decorating for the likes of Cher and other icons) decorators around in their everyday lives, with the focus on projects they're doing. The homes and projects are typically in the tens of millions of dollars and let me tell you they are fab.u.lous! I love all the decorators and I had the fortunate opportunity of meeting two of them--Martyn Lawrence Bullard and Kathryn Ireland--at a recent event in Novi dubbed "High Tea, High Fashion and Hijinks".

The event was at Art Van and they had the stage set up like a stylish, cozy livingroom.

The delectable eats

Hey, I think I have this pinned on Pinterest! :)

In the back of the audience seating area were cocktail tables set up with these tablecloths. (Martyn and Kathryn are both from England.) Aren't these adorable?

Kathyrn and Martyn spoke with the host, sitting comfortably on the stage couch, and let us all into their lives a little further for a short period of time. The crowd was a good size, but not overwhelming, which allowed the event to feel a bit more intimate. (I thought the crowd would be INSANE, but it was the perfect amount of people.)

A few notable items:

1. Martyn loves his jewels.

2. Kathryn and Martyn have an adorable and hilarious relationship. They get along quite well and watching them banter back and forth in person will provide you with the highest amount of entertainment, hilarity and laughs.

3. Martyn is even more adorable and fabulous in person.

Martyn and Kathryn took a few questions from the audience (even did an impromptu consultation on the stage!) and then ever so graciously took pictures with every attendee that wished to have their picture taken. Here I am with my (I wish) fabulous new friends:

After the event was over, I wanted to tell all the attendees to scat so Martyn, Kathryn and I could have a glass of wine and talk colors and trends. Alas, my little dreams and reality did not align, and I headed off to the Twelve Oaks mall with my mom for a bit of shopping instead.

Someone from the show asked Martyn what colors were the next trend in interior decor. Martyn answered "orange and emerald green." Interesting that I found walls of clothing in several stores in emerald green when we were out shopping. For those of you who watch trends, you know that whatever comes off the runway spills into both everyday fashion stores AND interior decor.

 My mom and I rounded the trip off with dinner at Max & Erma's. We were spent, darlings. Simply SPENT.

What a delicious, beautiful experience meeting such inspirational, creative people. Keep feeding your dreams and shoot for the stars, darlings!

Cheers,

Samara

An Evening at the Theatre and Ballet Memories

I love the theatre. The acting, the dancing, the singing, the larger-than-life sets and all that talent. A great deal of hard work goes into infusing, into the lives of the attendees, a bit of art and a chance to escape reality for a few hours. To enter into a beautiful, alternative world where anything seems possible and you root for the most unintended character makes you feel you are a part of something very special. And, you are.

Thanks to my parents, my husband and I were able to attend the theatre this week and see "Billy Elliot."  Neither of us had ever heard of the production, but happily accepted our Christmas present. :)

Two major story lines exist in the production:
1. The struggle of the UK coalminers' strike from 1984-1985.
2. An 11 year old boy's (son of a coalminer) dream to become a professional ballet dancer.

I'd describe the production as a constant moving juxtaposition of hope and despair punctuated with bold, razzle dazzle numbers. The relationship between Billy--the 11 year old main character--and both his grandmother and dance instructor is special and the things the most delicious memories are made of. Most of the songs display the deepest level of humanity and make the characters relatable.

From the moment the first scene opened, I felt my senses come alive. I realize the lack of artistic expression I have in my life when I'm enveloped in art the way I am at the theatre. The emotion is almost overwhelming. If you're not a creative soul, that last sentence will make me sound strange. If you're artsy like me, you totally get it. For me, going to the theatre feels like going home.

I felt a sense of happiness and sadness with Billy's dream as I remembered my own abandoned ballet dreams.

I was a student at Patsy's Watson's School of Dance from age 3 to 13. I tried my feet at every type of dance that existed, but ballet was where I really thrived. My mom even told me that Patsy told her she rarely recommended people to leave her studio, but she wanted me to continue ballet and try out for a ballet company in Detroit. Of course, like a 13 year old teenager, I ditched the point shoes and preferred to just be a teenager. Oh well, I'll always have my memories. :)

Here's something special I still have--a bracelet I received as a little girl.

And here's a picture of me around the age of 12 or 13. I know I have a stack of pictures from all ages that are much better, but this was the only one I could find. I think I had just received my recital costume in this picture and couldn't wait to try it on for my family.

What memories make you happiest?

Cheers,
Samara

Homemade Lemon Scrub

Part of the reason our skin begins to lose its brightness as we age is our skin cells regenerate at a slower rate than they once did. Because our skin cells are regenerating at a slower rate, the dead skin cells that remain longer aid in the dulling/darkening of our complexion. One way to help speed this process along is to slough off dead skin cells. Recently, I've incorporated a lemon scrub facial into my beauty regimen. 

Lemon juice contains natural antibacterial properties that help dry out acne. The lemon juice also acts as a mild peel due to its acidic nature (this will help reveal a brighter, smoother, more youthful complexion)and may even aid in the reduction of age spots and acne scars. The granulated sugar acts as a natural exfoliant, sloughing off dead skin cells. 

Here is an easy recipe to follow for a natural, homemade exfoliant.

Ingredients

1. Lemon
2. Granulated Sugar
3. Cotton pads (you can find these in the beauty section of any grocery store)

Instructions:

1. Make sure your skin is clean and clear of any makeup before applying the lemon scrub.
2. Wet your face with warm water
3. Cut lemon and squeeze drops of lemon juice onto cotton pad*
4. Pour small amounts of granulated sugar onto (now) saturated cotton pad
5. Rub cotton pad in circular motions all over face for two minutes*
6. Rinse face to clear away all trails of lemon scrub
7. Pat dry
8. Smile at your beautiful skin!

*I would start off with putting just a couple of drops of lemon juice on the cotton pad (maybe even do a test area on a small, less sensitive area of your face) until you know how much lemon juice your skin can handle. Remember, while lemons have so many wonderful, natural chemical properties that help improve our complexion, they are acidic, so start small and work up to more drops until you reach a point that you are seeing positive results with your skin without your skin being irritated. ( I went crazy with the lemon juice the first time I did it and my skin was a little red and irritated. I scaled way back the second time and my complexion was not irritated and was markedly improved in appearance!) 

*You may want to start off with a smaller amount of time of rubbing the scrub on your face until you know your skin's tolerance level.

I hope you enjoy pampering yourself at home!

Cheers,
Samara

Sad Goodbyes. Good Wine.

While my husband was away in Salt Lake City for work, I took the opportunity to spend some quality time with my mom. With both of our crazy busy lives, quality time usually means we are squeezing something else into our time together. This past Friday was no different.

Mom and I headed to downtown Lansing Friday night for a farewell party for our city attorney, Brigham Smith, who (as of Saturday) moved to Connecticut to be with his son. The party was being held in the upper level of Troppo's (recently moved to the "sunny side of the street" for you Lansing folks! :) ).

The upper level had sweeping city views, which those of you who know me know that I absolutely love. There exists little better than the sound of wine glasses clinking together in a beautiful room with city lights twinkling and the capitol lit up nearby. I. Love. The. City.

The number of attendees was rather light and the room had a feel that spoke to having missed a previous crowd of well wishers. Our city attorney was donned in a Troppo's chef coat. He joked that if you spend enough money, they give you the jacket. He embraced both my mother and I in long, meaningful hugs. It was the moment I received the hug (and later watched the other long embraces he shared with other guests) that I realized this move to Connecticut really was bittersweet for him.

I have no eloquent way to put it, so I'll just say it--Brigham was a cool attorney to have. A young, wisecracking, Harvard Law School grad who probably will never truly know what he added to this city and the inspiration he was to the "youngER professional crowd". ;-) I admired him for his intelligence, humor and accomplishments. 

Brigham was nice to my family when we started coming to city council meetings some years ago, he was kind to my husband and even nominated him to be a "Top Ten Over the Next Ten" recipient, and he was kind to my mother during her first year as a councilperson. For that, I am appreciative. His absence will truly be a loss felt for a time to come.Thank you, Brig, for leaving your footprint here in our little capital city. Please keep in touch and let us know when you visit. 

Onward to PSquared
After the sad farewell, my mom and I decided to to kick things up and head over to PSquared (wine bar). 

I'd been wanting to visit this place and just hadn't had the chance. Well, darlings, it was well worth the wait. 

PSquared's ambience was both urban and cozy. The walls were painted in rich, dark colors with one wild/fun focus wall towards the bar. The floors were made of dark wood and there was a mix of standard sized tables, cocktail tables, and cozy seating areas. I wish I knew the names of everything that was on my pairing platters (especially the cheese--to die for!), but suffice it to say the pairings with the wine that was suggested by our waiter were beyond amazing. And the cheese on my plate. Oh my word. I've never had cheese melt in my mouth the way this cheese did. I'm going to have to find out the name of the cheese and report back to you all at a later date! 

We also had an adorable waiter that told us a seemingly random story about some previous patrons (no names, of course). The story really had no punch or bottom line, but, if told for some quirky/artsy effect, had total impact. Way to go waiter, way to go. :)

And can we please talk about this wine that the waiter suggested? I was all ready to sip on some everyday delicious wine, when the waiter uttered the word "Sante". Sante? What is Sante? Now, some of you wine conessieurs out there may be laughing delightfully at my expense, but I'd never heard of it. This artsy girl was in love with just the name, so I decided to try it. To say this "Sante" was delicious is to do it no justice. (Read: I HIGHLY recommend you find a bottle to purchase! It's a pinot noir for you wine lovers.) It was so delicious that I snagged a bottle to take home. (And not terribly pricey either--$18 a bottle, sold at PSquared!) I'm saving it for a special occasion. Valentine's Day dinner at home? :)

Barely able to comprehend that I still had my mother out and about downtown, I suggested we go grab a cup of coffee at one of my favorite spots in Lansing--Tavern on the Square--for a pick-me-up before heading home.

My mom and I had coffee, conversation and even ran into a couple of friends. It was a wonderful night filled with quality time together, great conversation with friends and associates, and delicious food and wine. Here is my mom raising her coffee cup to that! 

I hope you all had a lovely weekend!! 

Cheers,
Samara

Fluffy Stuff Champagne

I love Pinterest. I understood it from the very start and couldn't wait for my invitation. (I was not about to stand in line for my invitation. Thanks, friends, for the personal invite!) 

Much like my obsession with certain retail stores, Pinterest delights my senses. I could sit there for hours organizing recipes, fitness plans, organizational tips, dream rooms for my dream home. I could creatively conquer the world from the comfort of my laptop!

Alas, my creative dreams and available time don't always align. However, I am quite proud of myself when I do find the time to try a Pinterest find. (I've even started a board "From Pinterest to My Real Life" to acknowledge the pins I act on!) Over the holiday break from school and work, I was able to try a new drink recipe.

I bring you....Fluffy Stuff Champagne. It requires:

1. A bottle of champagne

2. Fluffy Stuff cotton candy

3. Two champagne glasses  

Place Fluffy Stuff cotton candy in champagne glasses and pour champagne!    

The Pinterest drink recipe called for pink cotton candy, but this was my husband's way to "man the drink up". (Have multi-colored cotton candy)

The end result didn't quite look like my Pinterest find, but it was fun. It was a neat drink for my husband and I to enjoy between New Year's Eve soirees. Those of you who find champagne a little dry might enjoy the sweetness the cotton candy brings to the drink.

Did you know Pinterest is less than three years old? 

Cheers, 

Samara

Coffee. Wine. Music.

Last weekend with New Year's resolutions in tow, my husband and I decided to get out of the house on a dreary Michigan Sunday afternoon and go to a local coffee shop. We were greeted with this colorful door that seemed to pop out of the brick and mortar. A nice surprise on such a gray day.

The building was a two story, vivid, colorful shop with local artists' work lining the walls. Local musicians and vocalists had prepared a full schedule of performance selections. Wine, food and coffee were being served. The performances were amazing and varied. Here are a couple of shots of the artists:

The coffee was strong just how I like it and it was such a nice way to break up a Sunday afternoon when you're dreading the return of Monday and the workweek.

What's your favorite thing to do on lazy Sundays? 

Cheers,
Samara