Satur-Day Dreams

This is the perfect Saturday for day dreaming. So today, these lovely images have crossed my mind time and time again.

As the days grow warmer here in Denver, I am constantly fighting urges to leave my cold computer cubicle and run away to a colorful porch hammock like this.

Add a mojito or crisp glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (preferably Oyster Bay) and a book to not off to and its the perfect early summer afternoon.

I've also been interior decor brainstorming a lot lately. I have always had a vision for my living room to be a palette of blacks, whites and various shades of grays. My main reason being that these colors should allow a theme of large Black & White prints to stand out in the room. Something like this...

with a neo-classical style like one would see in Restoration Hardware, not entirely modernist or minimalist either. Oh, and can you tell I chose these two photos because of the wall of built-in shelving. I would loooove ceiling to floor bookshelves. It adds such a nice contrast of color and texture to a fairly monochromatic room these such as this.

Oh and I cannot wait for May 21 to come! I'm counting down the days to when I can begin my Wine certification classes!

How to be a Princess

In the spirit of tomorrow's royal wedding and my obsession with anything British, here are a few fashion tips on how to be just as fabulous and princess-like as Kate Middleton.

1. Wear Issa Dresses

Middleton favors the Issa label for its clingy silk jersey fabrics that don't reveal too much while still maintaining its stylishly sexy appeal. Her dresses are not overly pricey and can usually be found in upscale London department stores such as Harrod's or Harvey Nichols.

2. Wear Sapphires

Its touching that William gave Kate his mother's ring as a tribute to the late Diana. What we can learn from this, is how it proves that gems other than diamonds can make a classic and beautiful statement. I have always loved sapphires ever since my parents gave me a sapphire and diamond ring for my 21st - its too bad Kate beat me to it as an engagement ring!

3. Have fabulous barrel curls

First, to perfectly achieve Kate's look you need long hair, and it should be brown. Nevertheless, one can still emulate her gorgeous locks with extra large barrel hot curlers. After washing hair, apply a root booster or mousse to hair roots and leave in conditioner to the ends of hair. Use a round brush to control your blow out and put hot rollers in once hair is dry. Once you take the rollers out, your hair will be very curly - finger comb hair and in about a half hour the curls will calm down.

4. Be a well rounded gentle-lady

Princesses not only look fabulous, but they are also accomplished in a variety of talents so they can attract and impress young bachelors such as Prince William. What young man isn't drawn to a lady who won't be afraid to join the fall hunting party? And tweed can be very traditional chic when worn with Italian leather boots!

5. Be British!

There's a certain class and refinement beyond the attractive accent of British culture. Adopt some British-isms and you'll be sure to find your Prince Charming. Don't forget your wedding hats ladies!

Enjoy the nupital festivities my loves! - L

In Humble Gratitude

During this past Easter Holy Week, I was grateful not only for the sacrifice of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, but also for the sacrifices our men in uniform have given on a daily basis. For those of us not personally touched with loved ones in active service, we often need regular reminders of their selflessness beyond the occasional national holiday.

I had that privilege this past week when I called a new client in Texas, we'll call her Mrs. R. In the course of our conversation, she mentioned her husband was currently serving a tour in Afghanistan. Before we closed our business conversation, I thanked her for the sacrifice their family gives on a daily basis. This comment initiated one of the most memorable and impacting phone conversations I have ever had, as she began the story of her husband's journey defending our nation.

Evidently this was not Mr. R's first tour. He initially served shortly after 9/11 on one of the first tours of Iraq. Mrs. R and a close family friend prayed for his life and the lives of his unit every single morning for precisely one hour. I've never experienced any strong premonitions while in prayer, but one particular morning, Mrs. R did. She described how a thought kept invading her prayers that a man presumed to be a close friend of her husband was a danger to his well being. The next day, supreme command posted wanted notices all over her husband's base camp. One man close to Mr. R's circle of friends had deserted and was revealed to be relaying inside information to the Iraqi government.

Not long afterward, another vision overcame Mrs. R's thoughts. "I saw a woman in a long dark dress, with long sleeves and a black veil. I knew that she endangered my husband's life" recalled Mrs. R. She immediately forewarned her husband of this vision and asked him to take particular care. Within that week, his unit was approached by a hostile suicide bomber. The man was dressed in the women's traditional Muslim dress and veil, hiding his explosives beneath. Due to his forewarned thinking, Mr. R was able to help take out the suicide bomber before the explosives got too close to the unit. Mr. R went on to finish his tour of duty, only to be one of three survivors in a roadside a bomb explosion. He was sent home on medical leave and is now back again in the thick of things. It is unbelievable how this man is serving abroad again, in active duty rather being placed safely behind a desk and computer.

Why do amazing stories like these go unnoticed today? Why is it that Lindsay Lohan's parole violation is plastered on the front page of newspapers instead of the incredible models of heroism like our men in uniform? This could turn into a tirade against the bias of the media today, but instead I wish to focus on why we should share stories such as Mr & Mrs. R's. Though it is not Thanksgiving, this Easter I am grateful that God humbled me with this encounter. The stories of our servicemen's daily sacrifice is something we should honor, respect and aspire towards. Were it not for them, I would not enjoy the luxuries and privledges I have today. Therefore, it is in humble gratitude, that I dedicate this (belated) Passiontide post in thanksgiving to the daily sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and their families.

Sweet Nothings

I know I haven't written in a while, but I am saddened to say that I write less because I grow increasingly wearisome of the constant glow emitting from computer screens. After one month of working with a computer 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, I find that when I come home, a computer screen is usually the last thing I wish to look at. But my sense of guilt for not writing lately has overcome the pain searing in the back of my eye sockets. (Don't worry, I'm merely exaggerating...somewhat)

Several little changes have happily occurred in my small world since last writing:

1. We now have a fully furnished little apartment! It's nice to be sleeping in a real bed rather than an inflatable camping mattress, though the latter wasn't entirely bad.

2. I was given the official reprint of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking for my birthday from my loving parents and have decided that on this Easter Dinner, one of her classic recipes will formally initiate my lifelong culinary adventures. Do you suggest any particular recipe?

3. My littlest sister Mal will be here in 7 days!!!!!!! I eagerly anticipate a full three-day weekend of shopping, eating, touring Denver, more shopping & eating, movies and sisterly time galore! My heart is seriously bursting with joy at the thought of seeing her again soon. Hence also the formal Easter Dinner - it feels right to celebrate in style when we're together as a family.

Mal may hate me for this, because this goes back to her High School days, but I love this picture of us three sisters.

On a side note, I've actually begun a little project that Paige and I have thought about for a while. Ever since observing the love/hate relationship between Phoebe our Springer Spaniel and my Hedgehog, Thistle, we thought it would make for an intriguing children's book. To give you a little more detail, Phoebe is obsessed with Thistle. We can't exactly figure out why, but it's most likely because the prickles always were in the way of Phoebe thoroughly "investigating" Thistle with her nose. Next best logical thing for a dog to do if it can't smell something is give it a taste test. Let's just say Phoebe doesn't like spikes a-la-mode.

Observe below, Thistle usually freaks out at everything, even the musical trills of laughter that my good friend Em is so talented at serenading us with. So imagine what she does when a wet dog nose gets "all up in her goodies!" Freaking out, by the way, means she curls up in a ball and quivers in little huffles. It's simultaneously the most hilarious, adorable and weird thing ever.

So Paige and I thought this children's book would be a great team project: I write, she illustrates. I've been playing around with different plots, settings and morals and have finally decided on one and finished my rough draft today. The book will be titled The Hog and the Dog and I decided on the theme of gentleness. I've noticed lately, especially in observing my work colleagues and people in everyday life, that we seem to have lost a sense of gentleness. Perhaps its because we're competing with so many different things for attention. People have to be loud or aggressive to be heard above the white noise of technology and the multifaceted demands of society. Perhaps its because an emphasis on testosterone laden manliness and vulgarity has displaced the traditional strength in Teddy Roosevelt's "Speak softly but carry a big stick." Now we shout and carry even bigger sticks reminiscent of Neanderthal cave men. But I digress... my point being that, I think it is important for children to learn that gentleness is a form of respect and fosters friendly relations between individuals. I am by no means a Creative Writer, so I direct my prose to the youngest and simplest age group of 2-5 years of age. I'll be sure to share more about our progress after Paige has had some time to try her hand at some illustrations!

Well, its about time to go to bed. Gosh, I feel like an old lady now-a-days. Waking up at 5:45 am comes much too soon... Cheers my lovelies!

Winespeak

As I grow in my knowledge and experience in wine, there is a sort of self-imposed pressure I am feeling in regards to winespeak. Winespeak conveys in relatable and descriptive words, the acute and particular sensations one feels when tasting a wine. The words are important in that they should paint an image that is unique to that particular wine being tasted.

I have also come to believe that winespeak is important in that it is also very personal to the taster as well, and also reflects upon the art of the winemaker. Words like oaky, full bodied, floral and mature seem much too prevalent today. Undoubtedly every wine has qualities similar to each other; They're made with basically the same ingredients, so logic tells us they all can share a common vocabulary. But if winemakers work so hard to create a wine that is unique to their interpretation of that vintage or terroir, wouldn't they want tasters to see more beyond the typical "go-to" adjectives? I've encountered this idea as I struggle to conjure descriptive phrases when I drink a wine, which brings me to my second point.

Winespeak is also personal to the taster. As I develop my experience in wine, I realized I don't want to be perceived as snobbish, or worse yet, a poser in some haughty vino culture. I therefore prefer to stay away from said catch phrases. I want my identity as a growing oenophile to be original. I want it to be original to me and original in its contributions to the greater wine world. There is a sort of guilt that creeps into my conscience when I taste a wine and it takes so much concentration to conceive a word that I ashamedly sneak a glance at the bottle label to see if the marketing department would provide me an inspirational start. Perhaps its just that bland American food has dulled my gastronomic sensual creativity. I must work to revive my taste bud/brain connection out of an interminable coma!

I have heard it said, that a wine expert creates their own vocabulary. It could be a specific set of words. I've heard someone describe a particular Cotes-du-Rhone like "gasoline" and it seemed to work. Perhaps a theme can be used as a comparison tool. I am preferential to the latter. A wine mentor of mine once compared an exceptionally full bodied Bordeaux to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. That one comparison left such a vivid impression in my mind. I sensed the complexity of the wine from memories of the playful chatter between the string sections. The wine's forward and strong presence could be recalled by Ludwig's opening bass line "da, da, da, DAAAAAH" Perhaps hints of blueberry or blackberry arise at the finish like the flourish of a violin would. Try it... It's emotionally riveting to actively compare wine to a musical piece, particularly classical. If I ever taste a wine similar to Elgar's Enigma Variations, I might just cry of delight. What particularly attracts me to the use of theme is that it can paint an extremely vivid experience to others. Simultaneously the analogy used remains a deeply personal, secretive, even spiritual memory to the describer. One man's memory of Beethoven's 5th is very different from another's. In the same understanding, perhaps themes are more supportive of wine as an art itself. No two wines are alike - should they be described in such homogenous terms?

Recently had a fabulous Washington Late Harvest Reisling with my mom this weekend. I would say it tasted like Chopin's "Minute" Waltz #6 in D Flat. Light, flirty with some playful substance and all around a delight!