Great and Small ~

I'm making a daily effort to truly appreciate the greatness in every little thing, and it feels really good.  

Here are just a few bits that keep my cup of gratitude running over:

the tiniest perfect persimmon I have ever seen,

the purple and pink hues spread throughout the sunset skies,

tickle fests amongst a pile of pillows,

joining friends for an impromptu coffee,

hearing the crows caw for their morning crackers,

receiving a card from someone special just because,

adding pink sprinkles to a cupcake,

smell of cloves,

warmth of a newly knitted scarf,

pomegranate seeds,

warm cotton flannel sheets,

a helping hand from a stranger.

Wishing you and yours a beautiful Thanksgiving filled with love and gratitude for all things great and small.

[Reverie-Daydream Images]

An Artist

Many of you know my beloved as the extraordinary photographer of Reverie images, but where his artistic soul truly comes alive is in his atelier. His palette of oils bring his inspirations to life.  To see his face after a day spent in his studio is one of the greatest gifts of my life, for his eyes dance with magic from beholding hours of brushstrokes, his contented smile lights up the room, and his soul resides in its sweetest peace. 

Le jardin de ma tante is his latest piece of beauty, and he finally gave me permission to share.  To view this magnificent work in all its glory, please visit here. 

The Art of Love ~

Love manifests in many forms ~ 

sculpting the heart, opening the mind, and embracing the soul.

[Pygmalion and Galatea, 1890, Jean-Léon Gérôme]

l'automne à Paris

Three Autumns ago, we rented an apartment in Paris for 2+ months {while the crumb was 7 months in utero}, and it was absolutely incredible!  We didn't have a checklist of must-do-see while there.  Instead, we settled into our cozy Right Bank apartment and allowed our peripatetic souls to just to go with the flow.  Our days consisted of numerous visits to the Louvre, long walks amongst the leaf-changing Tuilieries, hours sitting at our favorite cafes, reading by the fountains under the golden autumn sun, choosing fresh produce from the farmers market, frequenting our favorite boulangerie, and picking up a few {or more} could-not-resist French bebe items.  I didn't think it was possible to fall deeper in love with this city than I already was, but this extended stay pushed me overboard into the 'madly in love' category, and just like a junkie, I need a fix badly. Fingers-crossed, I hope we return soon.

[Reverie-Daydream Images]

POP!

Pop! Pop! Pop! ~ don't you just love to hear the sound of popcorn popping?  The transformation of these little kernels filling up our bowls as we gather around for foreign film night {my vow to learn French one way or another} is definitely a fall/winter weekly ritual.

I'm old-fashioned when it comes to popcorn ~ stove-top popping is the only way {especially since I refuse to own a microwave, gasp!}.  Heat up organic coconut oil, add the golden corn, and let the magic begin!  Upon transferring to the bowl, add a  hefty sprinkle of Himalayan salt.  Voilà: a perfect snack!

Always looking for a few new tasty tricks, so what's your favorite way to add a bit of flavor to popcorn?

Tink, Tink ~

 Our perfect package of tricks and treats!

~ Happy Halloween ~ 

[DIY Tinker Bell costume + images by Reverie-Daydream]

An Apple A Day ~

There is something really special about apple season and all the delicious local varietals offered for the picking!  During this time of year, my baskets are always filled with this adored fruit, and baking seems to outweigh all other forms of culinary experiences.  There are favorites such as the Apple Jack Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Icing, Apple Streusel Bread, and Raw Apple Cake, yet I always like to indulge in something new and this year's recipe proudly joins the must-bake annually ranks. 

Mom's Apple Cake

[adapted from Smitten Kitchen]

7 Small Apples (peeled, cored, and chopped)

1 1/2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup olive oil

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter/Grease a tube pan.  

Toss apples with cinnamon and sugar, set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients (slowly) into the dry ingredients, mix well.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan followed by half of apple mixture over it.

Pour remaining batter over the apples and place the other half of apples on top.  

Bake for approx. 1 1/2 hours, or until toothpick comes out clean.

[Reverie-Daydream Images]

Legacy

Sharing a few of my cherished family legacies over here.

[Reverie-Daydream Image]

The French Laundry {Garden}

There are not many things in life that I covet ~ but this garden brings out every shade of green with envy emotion imaginable!   Of course, I'm not surprised The French Laundry is the mastermind behind this incredible seven acres of organic goodness. 

For the record, we have yet to dine in this holy temple of gastronomy, but one day, I will mark this culinary experience off my bucket list.  Until then, I'll continue to visit  this garden wonderland in hopes of keeping  the green eyed monster satisfied!

A Wishing Tree

This past weekend, I was honored to be asked by one of my dearest friends to create a Wishing Tree for a baby shower.  I'm not really the 'crafty' type, for normally, I have really large ideas, but they never can flow smoothly from the blueprint in my brain to reality.  Luckily, the blogging world is filled with inspiration, and these two fabulously creative ladies {here and here}started the ball rolling on what ultimately turned out to be a very successful DIY project!   

A Weekend Reverie

Sit in reverie and watch the changing color of the waves 

 that break upon the idle seashore of the mind.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

[Laguna Beach Image by Reverie-Daydream]

Fig Bounty

For the past few weeks, I have basically been living off figs.  This particular season, the fig bounty has been of such abundance that I had to come up with ways to use this glorious fruit (not a bad problem to have!).  Besides just eating them fresh off the tree or indulging in this decadent treat, I decided a bread of some sort would be the perfect recipient of my favorite 'end of Summer' fruit.  

And yes, I would be thrilled to know how you satisfy your fig fancy ~

Fig Banana Bread

2 Bananas (ripe)

4-5 Figs (ripe and cut into small pieces)

1/2 cup of melted butter

3/4 cup turbinado (raw sugar)

2 cups of all-purpose flour 

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cardamom*** (this is what puts it over-the-top)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix mashed bananas and butter in large mixing bowl.  Add the sugar, lightly beaten eggs, figs and vanilla.  Sprinkle baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom over the mixture and stir in.  Add the flour last, mix well.  Pour into a 4 x 8 loaf pan and bake for approx. 1 hour or until toothpick comes out dry.  Once removed from oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve!     

Fast Forward to Fall

Now that Summer has officially signed off, our arms are wide-open in acceptance of Fall!  Is there anything better than the change of seasons?  Autumn provides such a golden crispness of color and harvest ~ a fresh start to looking at the world through a 'new lens'. 

Bring on the pumpkins, apple picking, chai tea lattes, cozy sweaters, and a kitchen filled with the aromas of roasting root vegetables and chunky soups.  Fall is here, so put on those boots and let's go!

Pastries & Petals

Carmel-by-the-Sea is filled with magic around every corner, so it was a 'sweet' surprise to find the newest addition to this 'fairy land of perfection' ~ Pastries and Petals.  A lovely new bakery and cafe with outstanding treats (re: cheesecake cupcakes and champagne) prepared on-site by the pastry-chef co-owner.  The menu is filled with savory choices and sweet temptations all being served with a rosebud in a 'culinary boutique' atmosphere underneath an eye-catching antique crystal chandelier. Pastries and Petals is the ideal addition to one of my favorite 'villages' in the world, and I cannot wait to return and indulge!

Pastries And Petals

Mission St 2 NE of 5th
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

(831) 620-1400

[Reverie-Daydream Images]

A Crate of Goodness

A wooden crate filled with rhubarb and fresh herbs (including my favorite, lemon verbena) hand-picked by my lovely friend, Sherry, greeted us upon our return from the South.  You see, Sherry is a Southern Belle too, and she gets it ~ she knows just how wonderful it is to welcome someone home with a perfectly simple gift of home-grown goodness!  This crate was just what the doctor ordered to set my baking heart on fire again!

Lemon-Verbena Rhubarb Crumble

8-10 Stalks of Rhubarb cut into small 1/4 chunks 

12 Lemon Verbena leaves

1 cup of turbinado sugar (or brown sugar)

1-1 1/2 cups of rolled oats

6 tablespoons of butter

Place rhubarb in a non-reactive bowl/pan (I used a ceramic baking dish) and sprinkle with sugar.

Allow rhubarb and sugar to sit for approx. 3 hours., and then strain liquid contents of dish into a small saucepan.  Replace rhubarb in baking dish.  Bring 'sugary substance' to a boil and remove from heat.  Add lemon verbena and let steep for 15 minutes, then drain into bowl (discard leaves).

In a separate bowl, mix the remaining sugar, rolled oats and butter together forming a chunky mixture (you may wish more/less butter and/or oats).  Pour the infused sugar 'syrup' over the rhubarb and then add the 'crumble' topping.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes - 1 hour (or until the rhubarb mixture is bubbling and the topping is golden brown).  Serve warm with a dollop of ice cream or sorbet!

[Reverie-Daydream Images]

Smoldering | guest post by SPM

It was the end of August, and it was as hot as a smoldering Cuban cigar in Tampa’s Ybor City, (pronounced EE-bore). The heat and the imminent late afternoon rain was the narcotic needed to get my reluctant model in front of my lens. 

After Georgia, it was my turn to spend quality time with my family and have the opportunity to show Mel and Gaia my favorite places near my home town in Florida. 

Founded in 1905 by Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez, Sr., this small corner café known for its Cuban coffee and authentic Cuban sandwiches, frequented by the local cigar workers is now in it's six generation of family ownership. Casimiro Jr. aspired to take the Columbia beyond its humble beginnings and envisioned an elegant dining room with music and dancing, the likes of which were unheard of in this part of the country at the time. The Columbia Restaurant has seen its share of change, but through its dedication of successive generations of family management, it has persevered as Florida's oldest and world's largest Spanish restaurant.

I was originally inspired by Columbia's architecture, but Melissa's values of quality food, supportive family and originality made me see the Columbia's true magnificence. Mel always helps me see things in a new light, and I was enchanted to capture her in mine.

1+1 = Masterpiece

This is what happens when two perfect worlds collide ~ a mini-masterpiece!

McDreamy's incredible photography 

paired with 

karey's ingenious words of magic. 

{via the sweeterie}

{Georgia} Grande Dame

Oh Savannah, you are the beautiful Grande Dame, The Hostess City of the South.  Your perfect twenty-one squares provide lush green vignettes to stroll through while soaking in the gorgeous architecture and design that began to form in 1733.  Even General Sherman must have been a bit smitten by you, for he left his flaming fury on the back-burner as he made his way through your stunning streets.  The older gentlemen and refined ladies mesmerize with their drawls as soft as velvet. Your history is as thick as the sobering humidity that surrounds your magnificence, and I look forward to being your guest again one day soon.

[images by Reverie-Daydream ]

{Georgia} Farm

Just as we seek out the current museum exhibitions when traveling, we always make sure to frequent our favorite local, organic delectable restaurants.  Farm 255 in Athens never disappoints with their make-your-tummy-happy offerings, and as you must know by now, I strongly support any artisan, company, or restaurant with a philosophy for making/keeping our beloved Mother Earth a blissful place of existence.

[Reverie-Daydream Images]

{Georgia} On My Mind

As we walk around the squares of little ol' towns, I'm reminded of history, Georgia's past ~ the good and the bad.  Deserted cotton gins, abandoned pianos, and empty brick buildings are forlorn objects that tell their own piece of the story. My thoughts find solace from Her motto of : Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation; words held dear to my heart and forever keeping Georgia on My Mind.   

[Images by Reverie-Daydream]