All up……….and it was the littlest things, really.

My planters and flower beds are starting to come alive – the shapes and colors are pure happy….

 And then I got this note from a new friend:

I guess I should be writing this to you in your blog, but I want you to know I LOVE your writing. I find your website so utterly…soothing. I don’t know if it is because I hear you when I read what you write, or if it’s the pictures of delicious Noah, or the food, but when I am having a crazy day at work (most days – and the only time I can have a minute to read something fun) I read a couple of your posts and feel like I can exhale. Keep doing whatever you are doing- I think it is great and so generous of you to share all of this with everyone.

As someone who creates for a living, I’ve been lucky to be in a position where my work can make someone else happy – whether it’s a birthday cake, wedding make-up or flower garden. And my clients have been nice enough to tell me about it over the years – with cards, calls and letters.

But this note takes the cake. Ruth and her sweet family moved into our neighborhood a few years ago and Noah and her son have been friends ever since. Ruth works a demanding full-time job in the city and I don’t see her nearly as often as I’d like. I knew she read (and liked) my blog, but had no idea how she felt about it till now. I’m still beaming.

I’ve shared with you here how often I doubt myself and what I’m doing with this little blog of mine, and wonder – is anyone out there even reading? But to know that I have made a small difference in someone’s day…….well, I can’t even put into words how elated this made me feel. Thanks for letting me share this with you.

And finally – I had the BEST day with The Food Yenta and her darling girl today. More pics to come but this is what we had on the ride home:

photo credit: Meredith Keltz

Are you dying? I’m dying still…………

What are some of the little things that make YOU happy? In addition to the above lovelies, I would include:

A spa pedicure.

A pretzel croissant from City Bakery.

The way the back of Noah’s neck smells.

Having my hair blown out (seriously, if I struck it rich I’d have this service on a regular basis – LOVE).

A perfect B.L.T.

Share yours here!

And have a great weekend.

Jen Sobel is a perfect example of how the writing of others can add depth and dimension to your own life. Jen writes Punky and the City (which, the more I read of her, the more the name so perfectly suits her), an accounting of a 20-something woman as she enters a new chapter in her ever-evolving life.

My fans and followers on Facebook and Twitter know that Jen’s posts are frequent favorites – I truly, genuinely, look forward to each and every one. For many reasons:

To start – her fresh, honest and really good writing is a joy to read – even when the content is less than joyful. I’ve written before about the challenge of writing “well”, while staying  “true”. It is by far one of the hardest tasks I face as a writer; one that is much harder than it looks. Yet Jen makes it look easy. You can feel the life and heart she breathes into every post – into every word – with the sense that there is no filter. She genuinely lets you in.

Then there’s the appeal of peeking into a world I’ve long since left behind. As the mother of a daughter who is on the brink of 21 – and who, this time next year will be a (sniffle!) college graduate – I feel like Jen’s blog offers me a glimpse of what life for a young woman is like. How scary, and exciting, and wide open with possibilities it can be. And while I’m reading I often think about Chelsea and her future, and I so appreciate the picture that Jen paints.

And finally there is the unique perspective that Jen brings to all of her writing. On the surface it would seem that there is no common ground that we share. But it’s her completely different take on just about everything that really embraces what I love more than anything about the world of blogging. That, just by opening up a link you can read something – something really, really profound – that makes you look at your own life, or just a particular situation – in a totally new way. And that can only come from someone who is in a totally different spot from where you stand.

Some favorite “Punky” posts:

Her post on patience, and this quote that she shared there: “Where you are now, remember, is the goal of a former moment in time.” I loved that.

A difficult moment at work led to some self-reflection that struck a chord for me and the challenges I face in running my own business.

The joy, fear and excitement of starting a new chapter (in this case, her blog). Possibly my favorite of all.

Jen is moving to New York this summer – another brave and bold move that I admire so – and I hope to really meet her (sans quotation marks). In the mean time I will continue to enjoy the adventure that is this smart and lovely young woman’s life. Go give her a virtual hug – I know she’d like that!

Wondering what the heck “blove” is?

http://www.punkyandthecity.com/

So you KNOW what’s coming, right?

You make some of these:

And some of these:

Then – well, you KNOW what to do.

Graham Crackers
from One Girl Cookies

(New to baking? Read my post on baking tips and tricks to get you started.)

These are quite different from commercial graham crackers (which I happen to love!). Sturdier and ”snappier”, they complemented the chocolate and marshmallow perfectly.

2 1/4 c. (10 oz.) white flour
1/4 c. (1 1/4 oz.) whole wheat flour
1/4 t. cinnamon (I omitted as I do not care for cinnamon and chocolate – the choice is yours…)
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c. (100 g.) sugar
1/4 c. (1 3/4 oz.) packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. water

1/4 c. turbinado sugar (such as Sugar in the Raw)

Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl. Using your mixer, beat butter and both sugars till light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add one-third flour mixture and one-half water; mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Repeat. Finish with remaining one-third flour mixture. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 seconds. Divide in half; wrap one half in plastic and set aside.

Roll the uncovered dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper, till about 1/8″ thick. Repeat with second half.  Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a square cookie cutter (mine was 2 1/4″ – if you don’t have one you can just cut the shapes out with a small sharp knife), cut out the dough and place squares on parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar and bake 15-20 minutes, or till dark golden brown around the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Re-roll scraps and repeat.

Marshmallows
from One Girl Cookies

Homemade marshmallows. Wow. These are to die for and SO easy to make! A world apart from the store bought variety – less sweet, more flavorful, and when run over a flame they don’t just char – they caramelize.

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 c. (400 g.) sugar
3/4 c. light corn syrup
1/2 t. salt
2 t. vanilla

confectioners sugar

Coat a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the paper too.

Put 1/2 c. cold water in your mixer bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over the water and set aside.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 c. water in a saucepan. Stir, over medium heat, till sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and cover. Boil for  5 minutes. Remove lid and insert a thermometer, being careful not to agitate the pot. Continue boiling until the temperature reaches 240 degrees. Remove pan from heat.

Turn the mixer to low speed and carefully pour the hot syrup over the gelatin mixture. Increase speed to high and beat for 8 minutes. With mixer still running, add vanilla. Continue beating for 7 minutes. Scrape marshmallow into your prepared pan. Using a spatula that’s been sprayed with cooking spray, smooth the top and and let cool for at least 5 hours.

Sprinkle a cutting board generously with confectioners sugar. Turn the marshmallow out onto the board, and sprinkle the top with more confectioners sugar. Using a knife that has been sprayed with cooking spray, cut marshmallows into 2″ squares. Coat cut sides with additional sugar (I put the sugar in a bowl and tossed 2 marshmallows at a time).

Store marshmallows in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

He decided to join us on a recent Thursday outing. Our plan was to visit two spots in the Bronx, where it just so happens my dad was born and raised.

We started the day at City Island.

City Island is a teeny tiny (literally – it is only 1.5 x .5 miles) island that is technically part of the Bronx. I say “technically”, because as you cross the bridge that brings you over, you feel as if you’ve entered a New England fishing village where time has somehow magically stopped.

It was a beautiful morning, perfect for a walk along the water, and watching the boats and seagulls. Noah had fun at a nearby playground, and we finished with a lobster roll lunch (after asking two life-long residents where “the best” spot was).

If you’re planning a day trip to City Island, I recommend this article in Mommy Poppins, which offers great tips about when best to visit and what to do while you’re there. We went on a Thursday morning, off-season – I would imagine that it is a far different experience during the summer, especially on a weekend. If you can get away mid-week like we did, bring your camera, park the car wherever (you can easily walk everywhere with no worries about getting lost) and enjoy the day.

Our next stop was to the Andrew Freedman Home, and the exhibit “This Side of Paradise”.

From the exhibit’s web site:

“The Home was once built to be a haven, a paradise, for the rich elderly who had lost their fortunes. Bequeathed by millionaire Andrew Freedman, the Home provided not only food and shelter but all the accoutrements of a rich and civilized life style – white glove dinner service, a grand ball room, a wood-paneled library, billiard room and a social committee who organized concerts, opera performances and the like.”

It’s been years since the home was used for such a purpose, and it had fallen into a state of disrepair. The non-profit art group  “No Longer Empty”  has organized an exhibit that allows public access to many rooms (which had been completely sealed off) for the first time in decades.

More than thirty different artists took over the hallways, bedrooms and even bathrooms, to create their installations. Many used found artifacts like gloves, keys and old typewriters. We spent several hours exploring the rooms and looking at the various ways that the artists sought to interpret the spaces they worked in. The whole experience felt like walking into a time capsule. It was fantastic.

I loved that the three generations that comprised our little group each got something so different out of the afternoon. My dad really connected with the history and stories behind the home and its original residents (and, in true fashion, spent time chatting up one of the very friendly curators). I enjoyed seeing how each artist expressed his or her “voice”, while incorporating the architectural details and found objects within the house. And Noah was beyond excited about the colors and overall playfulness of most of the spaces (we did, however,  keep him out of the room with a mound of splintered glass in the center).

Click here for more photos from the exhibit.

The New York Times wrote a great piece about the Andrew Freedman Home and “This Side of Paradise”, and you can learn more on No Longer Empty’s web site. If you are local (or plan to be soon), I highly recommend seeing this exhibit.

As for my dad – I think he’s planning on becoming a Thursday “regular”.

It’s okay; he’s a keeper too.

I finished reading and then just sort of stared off for a while, thinking. Thinking about what I would do with 2 days completely alone.  Thinking about the last time I had done just that. And realizing that the answer was………….NEVER.

Yes, I’ve had my share of “Mom’s Days”.  And I did a teeny amount of business travel, way back before kids. But I don’t count those.

What I was now thinking obsessing about was 2 days away from home, alone. No plans, no schedule, no reservations.  And I decided that I wanted to do this. When and how, I didn’t know. But even just thinking about it made me giddy with the possibilities.

And then we had “one of those” months. And though  it wasn’t quite earth shattering, it was just enough of a game-changer to add just enough stress to just about push me to the edge of my reserves.

You know about reserves, right? As a mom, they are in endless supply. Till one day they’re not. And then you’re running on fumes, thinking you’ve still got it all under control because you have to. Because EVERYONE is counting on you. Because no one can do it as well as you.

But I eventually broke. And Mike saw it coming and asked what he could do. And I told him I needed to get away, just for a night, to clear my head and fill up those reserves.

So last Saturday morning I packed up and drove off, checking in to a hotel near Union Square Park.

I took the subway to Brooklyn to check out Dekalb Market, a unique flea and food market – unique because it operates out of a collection of salvaged shipping containers, and houses a working farm too. The combination of the gray skies, brightly colored containers and overall grittiness of the setting made for a totally engaging morning. It was a great beginning (the Robicelli’s cupcake didn’t hurt).

And then I started walking.

I walked to DUMBO, and had a light lunch at One Girl Cookies’ new shop.

I walked through Brooklyn Bridge Park – the gleaming Jane’s Carousel, tucked between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, is always a joy to see.

I walked over the Brooklyn Bridge – one of my very favorite things to do.

I walked through lower Manhattan and was treated to things I don’t often see.

An awesome break dancing troupe.

A historic fire house, inspired by a French chateau.

And a quirky store that had the greatest selection of tape ever (yes, I bought a box).

After a brief respite back at the hotel I went out for dinner at my fave burger joint, where I was treated to two guys singing Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers (they even took requests!).

And then I crashed, surrounded by my lap top, magazines, DVD’s and garden sketches.  It was messy and wonderful.

Next morning I ate breakfast in my room and worked (in bed) for a few hours. I wasn’t sure about how I wanted to finish my day, but it was a glorious afternoon so I headed up to the High Line. It was packed with tourists, as I knew it would be, but there were a few pockets of peacefulness nonetheless.

And then I went home.

It may not seem like a big deal – I was only gone for 30 hours – but it felt like so much more. And in many ways it WAS more.  I didn’t have to “work backward” from a nap, or a meal or a departure time.  The day was completely open–ended, allowing me to change course, backtrack and linger – without any thought to having to be any place else.

I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Some good:

Most, not so much:

I viewed the city from vantage points, and during times of day that I don’t normally get to see:

And I was quiet. Even in the thick of all the people, cars and noise, I didn’t have to talk  - or listen. I got to just be in my own head, and I walked and walked, and thought my thoughts till I could actually feel those reserves filling back up.

My dear and very wise friend Kerri talks about this concept often – about the need for all of us, but especially moms, to make time for ourselves. And I listen, nod vigorously and agree wholeheartedly. And then never do it.  And I have only myself to blame.

After dinner I told Mike all about my weekend, how great it was, and how much I appreciated it. He suggested that maybe I do it a few times a year, and my immediate reaction was, “Oh, no, no no. That’s way too much. Once a year is perfect”.

Okay, maybe twice.

We’ll see.

I’m curious – whether you’re single or not, with kids big, little or even all grown up – do you make it a priority to give yourself “you time”? And what does that mean to each of you? I’d love to know.

Click here for more photos of my NYC adventure.

I am a huge fan of the books Hello, Cupcake!, What’s New Cupcake? and Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh, My! Authors Karen Tack and Alan Richardson have done an incredible job in creating books that allow anyone – even the most novice baker – to execute totally charming and professional-looking cupcakes.

I was impressed from the get-go with the detailed, easy-to-follow instructions in all of their books. As a passionate home-baker for over 25 years, I own more than my share of cookbooks. And it is SO frustrating to get your hands on a beautiful  book, only to find that the recipes are either unclear, incomplete or filled with mistakes.  These books are impeccably thought out, and appeal to any level of baker.

In addition, the quality of the photography is superb – you will literally want to make every project.

But it’s the simplicity of the projects that just blows me away. Even the cakes that have many steps or components – once you break them down – are not at all difficult. And there are no fancy tools, ingredients or equipment needed. They all use basic items (ziploc bags, scissors, paring knives) that you probably already have in your kitchen. The candies and cookies that are used to decorate the cupcakes are easy to find too.

So you can imagine how thrilled I was to learn about the Hello Cupcake app. Alan was kind enough to let me give it a test run and I can honestly tell you that I love it (but don’t just take my word for it - it was named iTunes “App of the Week”).

The app (created by Culinate, and available for iPhone and iPad) includes 10 projects, cleverly displayed in cupcake tins. As more projects become available for purchase, you can add them to your “trays”. To begin, you simply tap the cupcake that you want to make, and are brought to a cute stop-action video that introduces you to the project. What follows are high quality videos and text that walk you through, step by step. Helpful voice-overs explain each step in even more detail.

There is also a series of videos illustrating all of the basic techniques (baking and frosting cupcakes, shaping candies and cookies, etc.) you’ll need to know. Even though I own the books and consider myself to be a pretty skilled baker, I really appreciate these extra videos – they are so clear and helpful, and in my opinion really enhance the value of this app.

If you don’t already own the books, then the app is a perfect introduction to the cupcake artistry of Karen and Alan.

Okay, okay - the giveaway!

I am so excited to have 3 apps (each valued at $2.99) to give away this week! Simply leave a comment below, telling me your favorite cupcake/frosting combination (I’m vanilla/vanilla. Unless there’s bacon. Bacon always trumps vanilla). Be sure to include your e-mail address if it’s not already linked to your comment. The giveaway is open through Sunday, May 13th at 5 p.m. EST. The winners will be chosen at random, and announced on Monday, May 14th. Update: Esther F., Jennifer B. and Jen G. are the lucky winners. Thanks for playing!

Be sure to let all of your friends know too! And as Karen and Alan like to say, “Happy Cupcaking”!

Note: I was not compensated for this post. I received the app to review and have expressed my honest opinions here.

Although I love my weekly adventures far and wide with Noah, I was in the mood to just “stay local” that week. The weather was great, I  didn’t feel like battling the vacation crowds at the usual hot spots, and I wanted to take the opportunity of no school and no commitments to connect with friends we don’t see very often (Noah is a VERY busy guy!).

We were lucky enough to get together with two of our favorite little girls – a special treat for Noah, whose life is pretty male-centric. His pre-school class is all-boy, our neighborhood friends likewise and even at home I’m typically the only female. So I always enjoy watching Noah interact with the opposite gender.

First up? Muscoot Farm, and the insanely adorable Waverly.

Muscoot is a real working farm, with original buildings dating back to the 1800′s.

Noah and Waverly had a great time visiting with the animals (there were brand new babies too!) and riding “the tractor”:

Later in the week we met up with my bloggy buddy Jodi and her totally awesome girl Paulina (who Noah completely adores). Jodi has become my “Connecticut Connection”, introducing me to some great places that I’ve never been to with any of my kids. We met at Bruce Park, a fabulous playground in Greenwich – and one of the nicest I’ve ever been to.

It should be noted here that Noah is playing with another child’s sand toys – NOT the bucket of THIRTEEN really cool sand toys I brought. What is it about other kids’ stuff???

Noah had a blast running around with Paulina between the “big” and “little” sections, playing in the sand box, and swinging and climbing his little heart out.

It was a nice change of pace for us – no traffic, crazy expensive parking or admission fees (both of these activities were completely free, with ample and easy parking), and a 30-minute drive from the house.

We’re back in the saddle though - stay tuned for our day in “Da Bronx” (my dad joined us!).

Muscoot Farm

Bruce Park

On Saturday I attended a “milestone” birthday celebration for a very dear friend.  It was so lovely to look around the table and see women from all of her many walks of life, gathered together to pay tribute to this special lady. For dessert, I made my flourless chocolate roll cake – a little nontraditional, but it serves a crowd and is SO good.

And on Sunday we had a birthday dinner for my dad. As I do for everyone in my family, I take dinner requests for birthdays. Pretty much anything goes, though most times I’m asked to make the same thing year after year.

My dad is probably the easiest person to cook for – he gushes, cleans his plate and always asks for seconds. Basically a chef’s dream. He typically requests either lasagna or short ribs, but this year he surprised me and asked for veal chops. I panicked briefly because I’ve never made them before (which is odd because I LOVE them). But I quickly decided to get the best cut of meat (easy to do at my wonderful local butcher), and keep it simple. I dusted the chops with a little flour, salt and pepper and pan-seared them in some olive oil. I then arranged the chops on a baking sheet and finished them in an oven set to high heat. I learned this technique at a class I took at my local catering shop and it’s a great way to cook proteins – you get a nicely browned crust on the stove top, and finish it off in the oven so that it cooks through without drying out.

I topped the chops with a salad of baby arugula, grape tomatoes and red onion, and served them with tiny roasted potatoes. Delicious.

Dessert was easy. My dad has this cake every year, and you’ll see why – it’s truly a celebration on a plate. Moist, delicious chocolate cake, chopped Heath bar filling (!!!) and whipped ganache frosting.

There’s a little more fussing than usual with this cake but you can execute most of the components in advance, and the whole thing can be assembled and kept chilled for up to two days. You’ll just have to keep your troops at bay (NOT easy, I assure you!).

How are birthdays marked in your family? A special meal, either at home or out? Or maybe it’s a  tradition that’s reserved just for that day? Please share with me!

Chocolate Crunch Layer Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting
adapted from Epicurious

(New to baking? Read my post on baking tips and tricks to get you started.)

Cake
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
½ c. hot water
1 ¾ c.  (175 g.) cake flour
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¾ c. (350 g.) sugar
3 large eggs
1 t. vanilla
2/3 c. whole milk
(4) 1.4 oz. Heath bars, cut into ¼” dice

Frosting
1 ¼ c. heavy cream
¼ c. light corn syrup
¼ c. unsalted butter
1 lb. milk chocolate chips

Garnish
(1) 7 oz. milk chocolate bar

Bake cake:
Pre-heat oven to 350; prepare (2) 9” cake pans (read here on how to prepare a cake pan).

Combine chocolate and hot water in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool to lukewarm, stirring often.

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.

Beat butter and sugar in your mixer till light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla extract. Beat in chocolate mixture. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating just to blend after each addition.

Divide batter equally between pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 5 minutes, then remove from pans to cool completely.

Make frosting:
While cakes are baking, clean your mixer bowl.

Combine cream, corn syrup and butter in a large saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture begins to simmer. Add chocolate chips. Reduce heat to low and whisk until frosting is smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to your clean mixer bowl, set over another large bowl filled with ice. Whisk until frosting is cool and begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Using your electric mixer, beat frosting for 5 minutes.

Assemble cake:
Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand, plate or cutting board. Spread about 1 ½ cups of frosting on top; sprinkle with diced Heath bars. Place the second cake layer on top; press down slightly to adhere.

Spread a thin layer of frosting on top and sides of cake – this is called the “crumb coat”, and it seals in the crumbs. Place the cake in the fridge for 1-2 hours to set. Remove cake from fridge and spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides.

Make “curls” with the chocolate bar by running a vegetable peeler down the length of the bar.

Note – I suck at making chocolate curls. Always have. I manage to eke out a few legit curls, while the rest wind up more like chocolate “shavings”:

It makes no difference to the look or taste of the finished cake. Promise. That said, if you have any suggestions on how to make perfect chocolate curls, please share them here!!

Pile the curls/shavings on the tops and/or sides of the cake (I usually concentrate on the parts of the cake that need the most “concealment”).

Chill the cake for 2 hours, or up to 2 days. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.

Share Our Strength is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to end childhood hunger by 2015. They encourage Americans to host bake sales within their communities to support the No Kid Hungry Campaign. In New York City, that means the 3rd Annual NYC Food Blogger Bake Sale.

For the last two years,  Ken and Lillian have gathered well-known food bloggers, baking enthusiasts, cookie designers and bakeries from the NYC area to raise money to support the campaign, which took place last weekend at one of my very favorite New York destinations – the Brooklyn Flea.

The weather was gorgeous and the Flea was packed – I had a lovely morning walking around and discovering some fabulous new vendors before making my way over to the bake sale tent – which was overflowing with cookies, cupcakes, macaroons and more.

I wasted no time in gathering up my goodies:

For my chocolate-loving boys there were “big brownies”, chocolate chip cookies with sea salt (yes, I bought 2 packages) and homemade oreos,

Hot chocolate on a stick (!!) and chocolate-dipped macaroons.

And for me?

Brown sugar hand pies and salted brown butter krispy treats (by Smitten Kitchen – who, sadly, was not there for me to grovel in front of),

Earl Grey macarons and petite citrus-poppy bundt cakes (are you dying from the pretty? and the cuteness?).

I was thrilled to contribute to such an amazing cause, and plan to participate myself next year (any suggestions on what I should bake?).

It is not too late to donate or pledge – I encourage you to take a look at the web sites listed bel0w, to learn more about how you can help.

Hopefully I’ll see you there next year!

http://www.strength.org/

http://nokidhungry.org/

http://bakesalenyc.tumblr.com/

Alas, my lack of artistic skill prohibited me from applying to the fine arts programs that would have offered such a major. So instead, I study/obsess/admire from a distance.

Which is one of many reasons why I adore – blove – Melanie of Inward Facing Girl.

I don’t recall exactly how I found Melanie’s blog initially; she is simply now a part of my daily routine. Melanie describes her blog as “a catalog of my obsessions, including life with my husband and our son, contemporary art, photography, design, exploring Seattle, travel, and pop culture“.

A lofty goal, right? Yet she does it so, so well – on top of a full-time day job, I might add. Opening up Inward Facing Girl each day is a treat I eagerly look forward to. In every lovely post she manages to put together the most incredible collection of inspired photos, places, films and interesting people. Her photography is awesome, the design and layout of her blog totally groovy, and her writing – well, her writing is funny and warm, yet also sharp and direct. It’s truly like hanging out with your cool friend while she shows you all the great stuff she’s just discovered.

Even on days when I’m swamped, and promise myself that I’m going to “just take a quick peek”, I find myself sitting down and reading every word (and drooling over every image). It doesn’t hurt that we love so many of the same things – from Audrey Hepburn movies to Eames anything to girl-crush-worthy Sofia Coppola. It is deceptively easy to curate images in a skillful way that in itself is artful. Melanie nails it every time, with collections that never look forced or contrived – just always stunning.

She also “shares the wealth” when it comes to her considerable talents in blogging and marketing, with inspiring and helpful posts. As I navigate my way through these new bloggy waters, I truly value her knowledge and appreciate her willingness to share it.

If I HAD to pick my top Melanie posts, it would be these:

I could look at this post on organized photos all day long. Those Pantone tarts kill me.
A box of pretty packaging supplies? Color me geek, I want this SO badly.
Hip pastels? Yep. This post perfectly exemplifies Melanie’s mad curating skills. Per.Fec.Tion.

So head on over to Inward Facing Girl and say hello – Melanie ALWAYS says hello back!

Wondering what the heck “blove” is?

http://www.inwardfacinggirl.com/