Author: missalaneyus
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Messy
The follow-up to Spoiled, Messy is the perfect beach read. Written by the ladies of Go Fug Yourself, it has their sense of humor and wit and offers both an insider and outsider’s view of L.A. Targeted to young adults, it has a great message about individuality, determination and dreaming big. Personally, I’d love to…
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Gatsby
Somehow I managed to escape reading The Great Gatsby in high school and college. I’m not really sure how. I’ve always wondered about it, but when given a choice, I always selected different books. With the movie out in theaters, I now had daily advertisements reminding me that I should check it out. So, this…
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In the Red
I’ve added two, new red wines to the wine list. One is a lovely Syrah and the other is a Cotes du Rhone. Try them this weekend with a perfectly grilled steak. McManis Family Vineyards, Syrah, Vintage 2010 – Light and slightly peppery Cotes du Rhone Heritages, Maitre Eleveur Ogier, 2010 – Absolutely perfect
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Beauty Finds
I’ve run across some new beauty products that I’m obsessed with. The first is Benefit’s “They’re Real” mascara. I’ve been a longtime user of Maybelline’s Great Lash, but this one is smudge proof and gives your lashes great volume and length. I’ve also fallen for their Watts Up, highlighter. Smoothed across cheekbones and brow bones,…
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Vegetable Garden
As most of you are aware, I had a baby last summer. Between that, my lazy approach to gardening and a complete drought, I scorched a lot of plants. I haven’t had a really successful vegetable garden in years, but each spring, I approach it with plenty of optimism and hope. This year is no…
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Lunch with Ellie
Ellie had been living on a steady diet of purees for months when I knew she was ready to start eating more of our food. Even though she was ready, I was not, because I had no idea what to feed her. I started by slowly including her in our dinners. When I made our…
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Spring Supper
Last month, it was my turn to host supper club. My turn comes up once a year, and each time, I sort of rack my brain to decide what to make. This time I wanted something feminine and easy that felt like spring. I settled on recipes I’d made before: Gywnnie’s rotisserie chicken, asparagus, clementine/almond…
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The Night Circus
This book is perfection. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is an intricately woven story made magical with lush details on every page. Read it, like yesterday.
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Confession
I was one of those people who had been waiting anxiously for Justin Timberlake to come out with a new album. So, when Suit and Tie came out, I wanted to like it. And, I should have. Jay-Z even sang on it. But, I didn’t. Quite frankly, the lyrics creep me out, which is ironic…
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Uncorked, Continued
This last week was a doozy. Both the husband and I came down with a nasty case of the flu, and then, this weekend we hosted Ellie’s baptism. All of that, plus a heavy workload have kept me away from here. Luckily, we’ve both recovered, and things are starting to even out again, which hopefully means,…