Gwyneth Paltrow for Tod's

I love the new Tod's campaign featuring Gwyneth Paltrow. Cool, classic and chic is what comes to mind (it helps that they styled Gwyneth a la Grace Kelly). I'm not in the habit of spending lots of money on handbags (I would much rather save my money or buy antiques/art) but I'm slowly starting to see the necessity of owning at least one nice chic bag, especially one that is not covered in "look at me" logos. Tod's also carry an outstanding shoe line (which is how they originally started) that pair so nicely with their handbags. Time to start saving up!

Foo Dogs

I've always wanted to participate in an auction and I finally got my chance this past weekend. I signed up to place an absentee bid at the New Orleans Auction Galleries and I ended up winning an item! I had my eyes on a pair of really cute and sassy antique ceramic Foo Dogs that both Jack and I fell in love with. I had to bid against several different people (both online and on site) but I came out ahead. Bidding live time is really, really fast and a little intimidating. Luckily the Foo dogs were towards the middle of the auction so I had some time to get a feel for the process.

So what are Foo dogs? Foo dogs, or Chinese guardian lions (lions of Buddha), are believed to have powerful protective powers that have traditionally stood in front of places of import in pre-modern China (Imperial palaces, government offices etc). Foo Dog statues are always created in pairs and carved out of expensive stone or cast in bronze and iron. Because of the expense and labor to produce the foo dogs, they were usually reserved for the very wealthy. The dogs always come as a pair, one male and the other a female. The male plays with a ball under his left paw that represents the flower of life and the female holds a cub under her right paw representing the cycle of life. Here is some other interesting mythology associated with the foo dog:

-The female lion protects those inside the dwelling, while the male guards the structure
-If the lion mouths are open it symbolizes the enunciation of the sacred word "om"
-According to feng shui the lions should face the entrance with the male on the right and the female on the left.

My dogs are obviously not gigantic statues but little ceramic ware statues for the home. The pair are glazed in a"Kingfisher" glaze and they only stand 10" tall on top of open plinth bases. I highly recommend New Orleans Auction Galleries. They had some amazing stuff up for auction and I'm already anticipating the next one! I'll post pics of my Foo dogs once I get them:)

Travel in Style

I'd like to be this woman...

In this car...


Driving around the California coastline or the Almalfi Coast. Hmmm.. that's not going to happen anytime soon but a girl can dream! The car above is the gorgeous Porsche 356. This ladies and gentlemen is my dream car and out of my reach. But there are many gorgeous replicas out there that are affordable and custom made to one's specifications without deviating too much from the original design. Isn't she pretty?!? (the car I mean...;)

Tasty Tuna Sandwich

This is very easy to make, filling and downright tasty. You don't have to use pecans (I had a bag of them from making spiced pecans yesterday) so go with whatever nut you prefer (walnuts would be tasty). The Dijon gives it a little zip and you can also use the dressing as a dip for vegetables.

Caroline's Tuna Sandwich

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1/4 red onion, finely diced

1/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped

2 cans of albacore white tuna

Finely sliced tomato slices (1 to 2 per sandwich)

Leaf lettuce (2 leaves per sandwich)

4 slices of toasted bread

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

2 dashes of red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon of fresh dill

Salt/Pepper to taste

This will make two heaping sandwiches. In a separate bowl add your drained white albacore tuna, onion, pecans and celery. In a food processor (or you can do this by hand) blend your mayo, mustard, garlic, vinegar, dill and salt and pepper. Adjust consistency to your taste. Add the dressing to the tuna mixture and heap onto toasted bread. Layer with tomato and lettuce and enjoy!

Calling Cards

I love these tongue in cheek calling cards from Mr. Boddington's Studio. I'm getting some made for Jack as a gift to commemorate his new venture coming up next spring. He is starting a Ph.D. program in Aerospace Engineering and the whole family (and of course Jack) is super excited. The first thing Jack said when he got in was, " I'm going to be a Rocket Man!! WooHoo!!!" Oh boy.

With that said I think I should get him a calling card that says "It's not Rocket Science...".

Simple Pleasures

I scored at Whole Foods today. Don't these cherries look delicious! I'm trying not to eat them all at once! I used a pretty fruit bowl Jack and I bought in Morocco that we hand carried back with us. I take all my photos outside because the lighting in our little place is...well lackluster.

I also tried my hand at a little flower arranging (I hope to take a class one day). I bought some pretty pink peonies and white hydrangeas for a deal. Not bad eh? Fresh flowers always bring a smile to my face!

It's almost the weekend... I hope you are all enjoying the balmy soon to be summer days!

Kate Spade

I'm really digging Kate Spade these days. During my college days I was obsessed with her nylon handbags (and to some extent I still am). I'm so glad she's delved into fashion the past couple of years. The rose print dress above looks perfect for a summer wedding (which I will be flying to in yikes! 17 days). She makes a regular white blouse look beautiful with her attention to details.