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I like to plan little adventures.
Small, quaint little field trips that involve lovely new discoveries and all things pretty. I like to think of them as Mini Safaris. I trek through new places, armed with my camera and notebook, ready to find new things.
Small Adventure is a gorgeous Etsy store that reminds me of these pretty field trips I dream about. I am completely and utterly smitten with the darling whimsicality that can be found in this treasure of a shop. Keiko and Anna are the lovely people behind Small Adventure, and their combination of note cards, pins, gift wrap and textile goods just steal my heart and make me want to go on more pretty adventures.
I would be wrong if I said that their goodies remind me of a fairy tale. Small Adventure is too cute and lovely to be a grandiose story of princesses and knights - I liken this store more to your favorite nursery rhyme. Simple and lovely and treasured. With their inspiration being good photography, meticulous organization, talented illustrators and great designers, you know that each piece in their shop is well thought-out, and a charming statement of what they love.
Keiko lives in South Pasadena, California. A town that I am very familiar with, seeing though I lived in that area for 7 years. I agree with her that the best thing about South Pasadena is that there are so many trees! Being close to Los Angeles, there's always a film crew shooting a movie, taking advantage of South Pasadena's green beauty. You can also find Keiko at her little bloglet. The other half of Small Adventure, Anna, lives in San Francisco - another beautiful Californian city.
The great thing about Small Adventure is that it's given Keiko the opportunity to turn her creative hobbies and passions into something more. Her beautiful art is definitely something we can all appreciate! And while we appreciate her art, she appreciates anything that involves custard or cream. Bring on the fruit tarts, creme brulee and eclairs!
Keiko is generously giving away the Thank You Card, Salutations Card and Leaf Pin pictured in this post. For your chance to win, leave a comment here telling us about one of your own small adventures that you've been on. I will announce the winner Sunday.
PS. CALLING ALL TEXAS BLOGGERS!! The Cupcake Social is coming up in May. If you are interested in more details (it will be in Houston), please email me at spotty_zebra@hotmail.com
This weekend Brian and I gorged ourselves.
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Spring is the first appearance of ice cream. People say it's a Summer thing, but to me it's a Spring thing. I can never wait until the summer months to eat it, I break it out in Spring. And on Friday, we broke out the Bluebell Ice cream.
Here's what i made this weekend for our weekend menu:
What did you eat?
(PS. the winner of the Haven Vintage giveaway is Kristin.)
(PSS. My latest post at Meylah is up. If you're looking for inspiration ideas, check it out here.)
(And stop over and congratulate Eric. He won our blog challenge. A worthy opponent!)
There's an old Italian proverb that says "When the game is over, the King and Pawn go into the same box."
That pretty much sums up my thoughts on politics. Every single person in this country wants the same thing - a better life - but because we all have our own minds, backgrounds, preferences and beliefs, we all have different views on how that can be achieved. The bottom line is - after all the arguments, we all have the same motivations for a better life, we're all coming from the same 'box'.
The next and final topic that Eric has assigned me for our Blog Challenge is: "Who is your favorite 19th Century President besides Lincoln?"
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Obviously, I wasn't around in the 19th Century, and I didn't learn American History in my school back in Australia - BUT I do like this topic because it forces me to look at the humanity of these past Presidents. These guys were humans, just like us - and aside from having one of the most stressful jobs possible, they had dreams, hobbies, bad habits, bad hair days, annoying neighbors - all that everyday stuff ON TOP of their responsibilities to their country.
I am basing my answer on the HUMAN side of these presidents. Not their bills passed, their parties, or their scandals.
My answer is James Buchanan. The only president that remained a bachelor.
Not that everyone HAS to get married. I just admire him for leading a country on his own. Nobody to go home to and talk about how stressed he was about his decisions and their effects. No one to tell him when he had spinach in his teeth before a speech. You've gotta feel for the guy.
Apparently he was engaged before his presidency, but rumors went around that he was only engaged to the girl for her family's money, and she ended up breaking it off. Shortly afterwards, she died, and he vowed that he would never get married. He said that his "affections were buried in the grave." Then on top of that heartbreak, her parents wouldn't allow him to come to her funeral. When Buchanan finally died in 1868, it was discovered that he had kept every single letter that his fiancee had ever written him, and his request was for those letters to be burned when he died. Doesn't that just break your heart?
I am not saying Buchanan was perfect, I am sure he made lots of wrong decisions (that's part of being human) - but keeping in mind that Italian proverb that we all come from and end up in the same box - he's my choice because he did it on his own.
(PS. I know nothing about his political stance. With so many 19th Century presidents to choose from, I deliberately stayed away from the politics and looked at their lives - i would be researching forever if I read about every single President's political stance and career highlights)
(PPS. Check out Eric's latest topic here, and then let us know who wins this final round.)
Aside from flowers and birds, when I think of Spring, I think of Entertaining.
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I think Brian knows that when Spring rolls around, I am usually scouring my favorite stores for pretty plates and bowls, and other lovely accessories to decorate our home. I love how Spring has no color limits - you see bright playful colors everywhere, and yet you also see subdued pastels.
This Spring season has lead me to Haven Vintage. It's a lovely Michigan-based vintage store owned by Colleen, who has thoughtfully put together a lovely selection of homewares and gifts. All of her pieces look like they come straight out of an Interiors Magazine shoot, each with their own style and personality.
Like many of us, Colleen still mourns the loss of Domino Magazine. She is inspired by Design Magazines and blogs, they often inspire her when scouting for new additions to her store. She especially loves that magazines are now "mixing it all up" by showing unique spaces with their own character - Colleen believes that this is what Vintage is truly all about. She also draws inspiration from natural elements. Her home in Michigan is surrounded by a 48 acre nature preserve, so she is able to bask in that natural beauty every day, but also jump in her car and head out to the city only 15 minutes away if she wants to go to the symphony or a nice restaurant. She confessed to me that she really has the best of both worlds.
Having been a fan of Etsy for a long time as a source to buy unique gifts for her family and friends, Colleen knew that it would be the perfect place to sell all of her wonderful finds. She absolutely loves the entire Etsy experience, and says that selling on Etsy is one of the best decisions she has ever made.
Aside from her gorgeous vintage finds, Colleen has also introduced me to her favorite dessert, which is a Michigan treat that I had never heard of before: Sanders Hot Fudge Cream Puff Sundaes. It sounds amazing, doesn't it? 
Colleen is generously giving away one of the three items in the above picture to one lucky reader. To enter, please leave a comment here letting me know which one you would like if you win, and also let me know what kind of things you like to buy in Spring.
PS. I have been nominated for the Top 20 Art & Craft Blogs Contest over at Adele. If you enjoy my little bloglet, I would appreciate you voting for me over here. Thanks, guys!
PPS. My latest post at Meylah is up. It's a tutorial on how to make your own Spring Button Bouquet. Check it out here.
PPS. My friend and talented Jewelry Artist Pamela is having a GIVEAWAY over at her blog. Hurry on over here and enter!
Can you think of a place that can make you exuberantly elated, yet also tearfully sad?
For me, that would be the airport. Specifically LAX. The seventh busiest airport in the world.
This is the next topic Eric has assigned me for our Blog Challenge, and unlike March Madness, it's a subject that I am VERY familiar with. For the two years that Brian and I were dating long-distance, LAX seemed like our second home - we were there at least once a month. We got used to all the Security Checkpoint rules, and I knew to wear easy-to-remove shoes, and no metal jewelry.
LAX reminds me of a much-loved Grandma. She had her House Rules - take off your shoes when you come inside the house, no food in the Living Room, lights out at 8pm... but on extremely rare occasions, she would let you break some of these rules - especially if you had a bad week at school. In my case, Grandma LAX stopped me in Customs because I had a bottle of liquid in my purse. But I had been crying because I missed Brian, and she noticed, and let me through with it anyway (note that this is VERY rare! {and kind of scary!}). But in spite of all these rules, you would keep going back to Grandma's place because you loved spending time with her, and always cried when you had to go home. Those are my thoughts about LAX exactly.
I have to admit, LAX is pretty disorganized. The pickup/drop-off set-up is chaos, the Baggage Claim area is a dump, and the cafes inside are all dark and dingy - but LAX was such a huge part of my relationship with Brian, so it will always hold a special place in my heart.
PS. Don't forget to check out the latest topic I have assigned for Eric over here. And let us know who wins round two. And again, I won't be offended at ALL if you pick Eric - he's a GREAT writer!
PPS. The winner of the Barefoot Chic Giveaway is Very Married. Yay!
There's nothing wrong with some good old, healthy competition.
And that's where my lovely friend Eric comes in. As a lot of you know, Eric was the person that convinced me to get into blogging, so without him I would be blogless. His is the first blog I ever followed, and is by far one of my favorite stops on the web, with his witty observations and takes on his Los Angeles lifestyle. I met him when he crashed one of my birthday parties a few years ago, and I have adored him ever since.
We're having a Blog Challenge, where we each give one another three topics to post about on our blogs. We would love if you guys would read both of our posts and let us know which one wins (i am totally ok with you picking, Eric, so don't be afraid if you like his best). Here is his. Eric (being the fantastic guy that he is) has given me the topic of "My March Madness Bracket" for today's post. A subject that I knew nothing about before this challenge.
To me "March Madness" sounds similar to the "Winter Blues", but for March. I imagine people with March Madness to be people that live in colder states that aren't getting Spring Weather just yet like the warmer states are. Of course I was clueless about it because 1. I am Australian and 2. I don't care about watching sports. But now I know that it's the National College Athletics Association's Basketball elimination tournament. And Eric has challenged me to pick which college teams are going to win each round. So folks, here are my completely uneducated picks, and the reasons I chose them (none of which are informed or well-educated reasons).
(See my Bracket here, and my reasons after the jump).
What do you think about when you remember happy moments of your childhood?
I think of my sister and the other children in my neighborhood. I think of dress-ups, and Barbies. I think of ice cream and flowers. I think of bright colors and candy.
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My dear friend Maki has two adorable daughters - Sophia and Julia, and they couldn't possibly be any more beautiful. Seeing them reminds me of my happy childhood memories playing with my little sister. I think back and have flickering images in my head, like a vintage movie - games, birthday parties, putting on little concerts for our parents... such happy memories!
Maki recently opened up a new boutique store that totally brings me back to those bright and happy memories. Barefoot Chic is full of her lovely paintings and signs, inspired by her kidlets and their love for life. Maki's love for the beach and flowers really shows through in her vibrant work, and I love each and every piece. Her favorite colors also reflect the beach - the blues and greens of the ocean, the pinks and purples of a pretty sunset. Maki used to live in Hawaii, so I can tell that it plays a big part of her tastes and interests.
Aside from her love for her family and painting, Maki also loves beach trips and picking out pretty shells. She also loves shopping, movies and great music. She is always introducing me to new movies and music on her lovely blog.
Maki has lived all over the map. Originally from Japan, she has also lived in California, Hawaii and Florida. Her favorite desserts are inspired by her Japanese roots, with a love for anything with hints of Green Tea flavor. Whether it be Matcha Ice Cream or Green Tea Shaved Ice with Sweet Beans and Condensed milk - Maki loves it all!Currently, Maki lives in Florida. She loves it for it's strong art connections and of course it's beachside appeal. She also loves checking out the antique stores, boutiques, and of course the theatres there.
Maki has created this lovely Hope Painting especially for one of you lucky readers. To enter, leave a comment here telling me one of your favorite childhood memories. I will announce the winner Sunday.
I love pretty containers.
Pretty jars, delicate boxes, frilly bowls...
At the airport back in Australia before i was leaving to move to the US, my friend gave me a pretty red glass jar. Inside it was filled with 365 happy thoughts. Tiny little folded pieces of paper, each with a handwritten happy thought or compliment about me. That was 9 years ago, and I still have it.
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I love that they can be decorative and at the same time be functional. This is what draws me to the lovely store Nesting Emily. Emily crafts lovely porcelain containers of all shapes and sizes. Jars, bowls, pots - each piece is beautifully created in a soft color palette, and inspired by the beauty of nature. Emily enjoys coming across natural beauty, especially animals that make the average walk more interesting. She is also excited by the handmade community. Emily says that "we are so lucky to be creating in a time when we have so much access to each other and to precious old methods that thankfully haven't been lost yet. They are being passed down."
Emily first started out on Etsy as a customer. She has her own Flickr account, and from that cultivated some lovely online friendships. It was these supportive friends that encouraged her to start her own Etsy store. So thanks to them, we can now enjoy her stunning handicrafts and the beautiful colors of Nesting Emily. With her favorite colors ranging from moss green to amber, she also has a great appreciation for the fresh dreaminess of matte white.
Another thing that I love about our new friend Emily is that she loves chocolate and coffee. Her favorite desserts are those that combine the two flavors into something amazing. She has a great love for baked goods, and in addition to the chocolate and coffee goodies, she also is a big fan of Banana Bread.
Emily is such a doll, and is giving away one of her jars to one lucky reader. To win the lovely Key Jar pictured here, just leave me a comment letting me know what little bits and pieces you like to tuck away into jars. I will announce the winner on Sunday.
I decided to throw a little Tea Party for some girlfriends this weekend, and after weeks of planning - the day finally came!
My growing tea cup collection finally came in handy! With a few from Anthropologie, but most from Etsy, I had a good range for the party. For those of you looking for Tea Cups, I highly recommend going to Vine Street Vintage, Twigenberry, Jen's Closet and Vintage Interiors.
After a weekend of cooking and baking, and preparing, it was nice to sit back and relax with a nice cup of tea with friends.
For more photos of the party, see here.
And good news for you guys. One of the lovely Etsy stores I got a Tea Cup from - Jen's Closet, is offering 10% off your next purchase in her any of her stores (Jen's Closet, My Milkglass Shop, The China Girl). All you need to do is mention that you're a reader of City of Dionne. Woo hoo!
(PS. The winner of the L Brandt Terraria Giveaway is Ashley Kitto, yay!)
Let's get down to business shall we?
Bread Business, that is.
There is no food more fundamental than bread. It pops up in every culture, in every country, and it can be as fancy or as plain as you like. I went for one whole year without eating bread (it used to upset my stomach), and will never do it again.
Whenever I go Grocery Shopping, along with milk and eggs, it's one of the first things on my list. But every now and then I like to bake my own. On Tuesday I made my own Garlic Bread. Michele mentioned to me that it looked like Foccacia, and when she said that, I realized that it had the density of foccacia bread, so I've officially named it my Garlic Focaccia Bread.
Here's the recipe if you'd like it:
The sound of the French language.
Spools of lace trimmings.
Delicate patterns on vintage china.
These are just a few of the things I love. One of the latest additions to this list is bringing the outside in. Indoor Gardens.
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I am not confident enough in my Plant Parenthood abilities to have lots of indoor plants. Hiraldo is my first indoor plant, but I definitely want to give him some adopted siblings in the future. Bright pops of indoor greenery are so gorgeous. That's why I LOVE The L Brandt Terraria.
Lindsay has a Neverland of gorgeous greenery in her living store. Lovely, vivid greenery encapsulated in gorgeous prisms of light.
Lindsay told me quite poignantly that Marc Chagall once said, "Great art picks up where nature ends", and that a lot of people see nature as God's art - instilling life and freedom to all who see it. As an extension of that, Lindsay sees this art that God's given us as Man's Nature. She is fascinated by all the details of this art - and with great respect and admiration, she is motivated by it. She loves experimenting with shape combinations and duplicating nature's textures in her work. In her own words, she "free-plays some of God's ideas into a work I can call my own." When creating, Lindsay reminds herself that as an adult, her perspective can easily get clouded by worldly perceptions and bias, causing her to forget the natural beauty in the world - so when creating and brainstorming, she "allows herself to revert back to innocence".
With her love for the outdoors, of course Lindsay's interests include camping, hiking and boating. She also loves photography, reading Dwell Magazine, and most importantly being a mother. I am sure she will pass on this love and appreciation of nature to her children! Among her taste preferences are the shade of white, along with green because no matter what shade or hue it comes in - it remains beautiful (i agree!), and See's Candies (especially the Bordeaux, the Chelsea and tbe Butterscotch Squares).
Lindsay is generously giving one lucky reader one of her gorgeous creations. The winner will receive their choice of either the Minimalist Bird Feeder or the Reindeer Moss Hanging Terranium. To enter, please leave a comment here telling me which one you'd rather win, and also let me know what you love most about bringing the outdoors inside.
