Happy Heart Shaped Sweets Day!

It's valentine's day. Surprise!!! I've chosen to use this day of extra sugary sweets as a time of reflection. Much like the millions of jagged edged crystals glistening on the New Year's Ball reflect the millions of wide eyed smiles of hopeful and optimistic time's square revelers, today i'm taking stock. thinking back and sharing my loves. Some are fun and fancy free, others are sentiments that i've long ago shared. Diaries, journals, and hidden love notes be damned, the secret's out and herein lies my most recent loves. It's part resolution to enjoy the little things in life, part thanksgiving grace and part Valentine's day love-fest. It may be fluff or overly sweet but so goes a day devoted to pink. 

Donuts. This morning i had a donut in the shape of a heart... sure, that alone may make it valentine's appropriate but instead of custard or jelly, it was stuffed with frosting. Frosting you say, yep... whipped deliciousness coated in chocolate chips. 

Stores that offer champagne while you shop. Decadent, you bet, diabolical, i think so. As Nathan and I wandered around Paris this spring, trading time at museums for time at Cartier and Hermes, we learned the secret underside to the city. If you pretend to know a bit of French and act as though you're one bad decision away from a new Birkin, the champagne starts flowing. 

Layering on your wrist. Some guys wear a strong timepiece to make a statement, choosing to showcase their fashion savvy with a budget busting Breitling. Recently I've started layering up. Sure, a button down, under a vest, under a blazer will keep you warm, and toasty but a stack of glistening arm candy may say even more. Not one for rings or necklaces, I vote to let your wrist share your adventures. Currently stacked: a vintage LOVE bracelet once worn by my grandpa, a nautically inspired matching Miansai cord wrapped around thrice given with love by the one I love, and a rotating schedule of a few watches I've acquired over the years from momentous occasions and trips abroad. 

When you can't say it out loud, write it down. Hand written cards are far and away my favorite keepsake. Papersource is my new go-to spot for the best selection of cards. Sure, they may cost 5x as much, but they somehow find a better way to inspire the sentiment. 

Sunny afternoons laying out in the backyard at home. Don't be crazy, I live in Chicago and surely don't have a yard. I'm talking about my first home, my family home. Saturdays on the recliner with my family and a cold lemonade flipping through Vogue. Bomb dot com. Makes me appreciate Ben Folds and his ability to rock the suburbs, just like Michael Jackson did. 

Throws. Easy enough. Faux fur, cable knit, cashmere or crew. Throw it on a bed, throw it on a couch, throw it over yourself. 

Running until you sweat. And I mean like puddles of water, sprawled on the ground, can't catch your breath, could eat an entire pizza exhausted. Carry me home, I'm spent. 

Ever considered standing in a room cranked up to 100 degrees and twisting your body into a pretzel? One of my favorite after school activities is Core Power and Bikram Yoga. Stretch it out, sweat it out. Gym membership and added expenses don't always allow funding, but when you get in a really great class, you can't feel any better. 

Flannel. Plaid and ALL things Madras. You like one color? I like 5. Bam. 

It's no secret that if I could exist on one food alone, it would surely be cake. Wedding Cake, Birthday Cake, Saturday Cake, Cookie Cake. I don't discriminate as long as it's delicious and covered in frosting. 

My nephew eating mashed potatoes. I don't care how many times I watch it or that I know the amazing faces he's going to make, nothing makes me smile more. He's the cutest, sweetest, and funniest little man I know. 

Nathan. Period. 

Dinner Parties. Give me an excuse to create a tablescape, spend all day cooking in the kitchen and the chance to invite people into my home and I'll give you a hug. Something about hosting gives me insane anxiety but also such pleasure. My goal in life is to be featured in a coffee table book. 

Margaritas and dancing on top of a bar. What?! who does that. Well, with the opening of DS Tequila this summer, apparently me. Frosty drinks, good music, good friends, and a bar with steps, sold. 

When September hits and the temps start to temper just a bit, it only means one thing. Well, two if you consider that Thanksgiving is only a few months away, but otherwise it's College Football! And with that comes tailgating. Give me good food, good friends, 100,000 screaming fans, a few turnovers and a table embellished with a giant block M and I'm happy as can be. 

While this list could surely go on for days, and maybe it will (could be the continuation of a series I started last fall) I'm happy to report that some of my favorite things in life are free. Granted champagne in Paris was free, but at the same time, I couldn't be more thankful for the friends and family that I've been blessed to surround myself with. Whether you're in a relationship or in search of something new, may LOVE always be back in Black.