Abeille Bakes: French Apple Tart

A Dress Deferred

 Dress: Robert Rodriguez for Neiman Marcus & Target

Clutch: The Limited / Necklace & Earrings: Forever 21

Shoes: DSW 

What happens to a dress deferred? Apologies for the poor Langston Hughes analogy, but I caught a glimpse of this dress in my closet the other day. It's been hanging there for about 3 months, and I still haven't worn it. Of course, I don't exactly lead the kind of life that supports the purchase of a black lace cocktail dress for my wardrobe on a whim. However, I had a moment when it seemed crucial that this dress must be mine. That moment struck during the post-holiday super sale online at Target. 

What can I say? The dress is classic and irresistible: black lace with a nude underlay.

 Eyelash lace to be exact... So pretty!

 You can't go wrong with iconic pearls and an elegant velvet / satin clutch.

Finish the ensemble with textured kitten heels, and tell me that this look doesn't channel Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina!

I will wear this outfit someday... I WILL!

Little Pleasures: Parks and Recreation

Spring has sprung! Well, sort of. Let's all hope for much warmer weather soon, shall we? In the meantime, Bee and I have been taking advantage of the bits of warmth and sun here and there by taking walks and going to the park.

In the picture above, Bee is pointing out purple flowers. She's apparently going to become a horticulturist because she kept picking up dead blooms and putting them back on the plants.

Love that Ergo carrier! Makes for charming silhouettes on an afternoon walk.

Some sweet little pink weeds. Yes, weeds can be cute.

Climb that mountain, Bee! You can do it!

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Scent-sational!

When did you first start wearing perfume? I was probably around 13 when I cared about adding some sort of fragrance as the final part to getting dressed each day. My friend Erica received Debbie Gibson's "Electric Youth" as a birthday gift, and that was just about the coolest thing EVER. Although I didn't join the band wagon for that, I remember that Love's Baby Soft was also a popular choice at the time. By age 16 or so, I thought about  having a signature fragrance, and the first one I used in heavy rotation was Tresor, by Lancome. It had such a soft, pretty floral scent.

Over the years, my preferences have expanded to include even stronger floral notes, the epitome of which is the uber-famous and timeless Chanel No. 5. These days, I don't wear perfume as much as I used to (mostly because I didn't want to irritate Baby Bee when she was a newborn), but I plan to incorporate it into my daily ensemble of sweatpants and t-shirts, with the occasional cocktail dress thrown in too.

As pictured above, I seem to favor French perfumes... What's your favorite fragrance? 

I Can See Clearly Now

It happened. I now wear glasses. When I was in college, it became de rigueur to wear glasses as an accessory, even if you didn't need them to improve your vision. I had two pairs: dark-gray ombre cat-eye, and rectangular tortoise. The look was trendy, fun, and cheap. 

Now that I know the reality of wearing glasses, I still want to be trendy and fun (cheap is is virtually impossible when it comes to prescription eye wear). The "nerd" look is back in, so I went with a classic dark tortoise pair. I suppose that the specs suit my editorial work, but I made it through 8 years on the desk before the anvil fell on me.

What I can't get over is that I'm getting old. It's not just that you get wrinkles around your eyes as you age. The actual lenses of your eyes age too! Yes, that might be a naive statement, but I just never thought about it. I don't want to be old! Okay, yes, I do. I just want to retain my youthful fervor without realizing that I'm aging. Does that make sense?

Perhaps it's all in the mind... aging is part of life, and there's truly nothing you can do to stop it. However, instead of fighting against the inevitable changes, maybe we should embrace them. The most important thing in this whole scenario is that I can see more clearly now. Bonus: Thanks to my old eyes, I can relish a whole new type of wardrobe! 

I'm curious... How long have you worn glasses? How did you feel when you had to start wearing them? 

Feeling Jazzy

Earlier this week, Baby Bee and I went for a walk in the neighborhood. Suddenly, the heavenly aroma of jasmine hit me. Scent is a powerful memory trigger, and whenever I smell jasmine, I think of spring. Five years ago, I had three pretty pink jasmine plants growing on the balcony of my apartment, but a harsh winter night extinguished their beauty. Maybe it's time to jazz up the balcony again. These sweet flowers are so charming, and can really brighten up your day!

Museum Monday: The Getty Center

The modern and graceful beauty of the West Pavillion

Buttery tulips in the Center Garden

A view through the trees

The Getty Center is truly one of the gems of Los Angeles. Ever since it opened in 1997, it's been one of my favorite places in the city. Admission is free (parking is $15), and you can easily spend all day roaming all four pavillions and relaxing in the various gardens on the campus. Of course, the changing exhibitions are always excellent, as are the permanent collections. Now that spring is just around the corner, I think it would be great to pack a picnic and head back up there with the family. Did I mention that the views of L.A. (both day and night) are spectacular?

Little Pleasures

Vegan hazelnut and chocolate cake from Tender Greens

A lush and tropical path at the Now Sapphire resort in Cancun

(Memories of a warmer day...)

A tranquil boat scene by Monet

Penny loafers

Abeille Cuisine: Eggplant Parmesan Turkey Meatloaf

Cooler temperatures call for food that warms the heart and satisfies the belly. Enter, meatloaf.

Weekend Wear

Dress: Old Navy (similar) / Bracelets: Forever 21

Darkers: Anthropologie / Bag*: Vince Camuto

Sandals: Madden Girl (similar)

This weekend brought a heatwave to the L.A. area.  As a way to enjoy the outdoors, we headed to Westwood to stroll around UCLA.

Abellie Bakes: Banana Bread

I hate bananas. Their flavor corrupts everything that might be mixed together with them. I won't eat them for any reason...

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

I feel like the days of being neighborly are coming to a close... How often do you go to your neighbor's house for dinner, or bring them some homemade dessert to say "thank you" for a favor?