Comfort Crunch

A friend called me one day and said, "Anne, I really think you should know about Lambie Stout and her Comfort Crunch."

After phone calls, emails and some happy snacking, I, too, am a fan of Comfort Crunch, a delicious snack mix with an inspirational story.

When I opened "Toffee Talk" (the Original Mix studded with toffee...hello!) I wanted to photograph the whole nuts, dried blueberries, cherries and cranberries to show you how beautiful the product is. However, I almost enjoyed my "healthy snack alternative" right to the bottom of the bag before I remembered to take a picture. It is that delicious. Give some comfort.

Finding Delight

A friend told me that after reading my book, Moments of Delight, she had an "Aha!" moment at the grocery store.

She walked into the produce section, saw the tower of lemons and realized that it was beautiful.

She said to herself, "That's delight!" She suddenly "saw" the beauty of lemons and attributed it to my book and philosophy. That is music to my ears.

Roadside Stand

We've all seen trucks selling fresh seafood, produce, even roses by the roadside on occasion, but can you imagine seeing... orchids? We practically drove off the road.

There were at least 75 plants with a big sign that read "Orchids - For Sale."
These plants were bright, healthy and begging to be in a cachepot in every living room in Palm Beach.

Did we pullover and buy a plant? Absolutely.

They had me at "orchids."

Size, Shape, Color

Isn't this exquisite? Think of the hours required to pick out and artfully arrange the perfect size, shape and color shells to make this perfect sailor's valentine.

I found this piece in a shop in Florida and nervously wrapped and layered it within the clothes in my suitcase to bring it home. It made it with nary a shell chipped, thank heaven. 

I have it on display on a black coffee table between two white duck loveseats. It is a show-stopper and it sure to spark conversation. 

I just love it and again, I tell you, art is everywhere.

Virtual Beachwalk

When I am composing a photograph, I look for elements that add value to the image.






What did I see in this picture?

• the horizon is true, but the shoreline is on a slant, which makes the "lines" interesting
• the white of the clouds echo the color of the white cap waves
• there is not a soul around

Now take a minute and go for a virtual beach walk.

Fine China

I love fine china and love to drink tea from pretty teacups. My formal china pattern is "Lavinia" by Royal Worcester. The design is white bone china with black raspberries and branches - just looking at it makes me happy. I know that I chose the right pattern.

To celebrate 100 years, Royal Doulton is offering commemorative 5 teacup sets with one teacup/saucer each of their most popular patterns in an era. A darling idea - check out this link to view the different sets.

And for Dessert?

How could we resist this dessert tray? You can always steal "a moment in France" by having lunch at PAUL. With over 360 locations worldwide, PAUL has expanded to the United States by opening 6 cafes in Florida.

My mom, aunt and I drank cappuccinos under a canvas umbrella on the patio and split the sugared almond torte on the bottom right.

Life is good.

Vernal equinox

When my dear friend Heidi lived in Japan, she would fly home twice a year with her daybag stuffed with things she knew that I would love.

One such gift was this set of gumdrop-like candy. Of course I can't read the packaging, but it looks to me as if is meant to celebrate the beginning of Spring, or vernal equinox. Snowflakes transitioning into Spring flowers and birds chirping.

Spring is here!

Secret Garden

Isn't this lovely? I found a little garden tucked beside a gift shop called Cottage Cache in Hobe Sound.

I love when a shopkeeper looks at all 360 degrees of their business. A wonderful shopping experience includes the approach to the building (a lovely garden arch with draping blooms), the welcome sounds (music playing) and a beautiful selection of products. This darling spot has it all. I just wish I could remember the name of this gorgeous vine.

Eating al fresco

I don't think I'm alone when I say that I love to eat outside. Give me a deck, patio, cafe or rooftop and I am "in." When I am exploring the little shops between Hobe Sound and Palm Beach Gardens (Florida), I often stop for lunch at Cafe Copenhagen. It is a quaint Scandinavian cafe with an outdoor patio. On this particular day, my mom, aunt and I shopped in the morning and then made our way here for a girls lunch. Our choice wasn't exactly Danish, but it was the perfect cold salad on a hot afternoon. There was a hibiscus plant blooming on the patio beside our table and it felt like a perfect day. Where do you like to eat al fresco?

Tin Foil

I love it when the ocean looks like tin foil, or "silver paper" as my grandmother used to say.

A calm clear morning on the ocean makes the possibilities seem endless. Is today meant for beach combing? Cooking fish on an outdoor grill (remember my pineapple relish)? Getting lost in a few chapters of a book?

If I am lucky, the answer is all of the above.

Shadows

As you know, my husband and I spent last Saturday at the nature center for a maple sugar tour. At one point, we hung back from the group in order to stand on a little footbridge. The brook was "babbling" and it was so pleasant to stand in the sun and listen to the sound of the stream. When I finally put my camera down, I noticed the best picture of all...us! Our shadow was so clearly reflected in the stream I just had to show you.

Maple Sugaring

For years I have wanted to visit the local Nature Center during Maple Syrup Time and today was the day.

I distinctly remember "sponsoring a tree" here about 10 years ago through a mail-in donation. The city posts your name on a tree (see maple leaf name tag at left) and then sends you a bottle of maple syrup and the tree tap at the end of the season. A very sweet program, in both senses of the word.

Today we had a refresher course on photosynthesis, watched a short film on the process of maple sugaring and then headed into the woods. It was about 45 degrees today when we went on our tour, with bright sun and blue sky. The sap was running!

Our guide pulled a bucket off a tree and we tasted the sap; we went in the sugar house and saw the equipment and then ended our hike with a mini-waffle soaked in maple syrup. Happy Spring!

365 Days

365 days = 365 necklaces, right?

I have been on a roll lately. Making one-of-a-kind necklaces to go with everything in my closet. Necklaces made of buttons, shells, pearls, you name it. I love that a simple accessory can "make" an outfit.

This week my niece came over after school and showed me her first attempt at jewelry making. Two beautiful necklaces made of forest green, copper and wine-colored glass beads. As a teenager, she claims that she is "jewelry challenged" but I am telling you, she has an eye.

What fun it is to be an aunt!

Pretty Sachets

Company's coming and I am pulling out all the stops...blueberry coffeecake, pretty pillowcases and a stack of magazines by the guest bed. I used to dream of owning a country inn and having guests lets me exercise those ideals a little.

What is the final touch? A pretty little sachet on the nightstand. I photographed this amazing selection in a gift shop a few years ago - which one would you choose?

Optimist Club

Today I was the guest speaker at a meeting of the Birmingham Optimist Club. I was invited by a member who loves my business of "delight" and was sure that the group would enjoy hearing my story.

It was a wonderful experience and I am so glad that I had the chance to meet such a neat group of people.

In high school, I was a member of a Gifted & Talented program. Students that excelled in extracurricular activities (mine was counted cross-stitch) could receive high school credit for their achievements. At the end of the year, the students hosted a "Show & Tell" assembly of their work. The event program listed the participants and in addition to embroidery, I noticed that I was also named as a member of the planning committee. The program read: Anne Held, Positive Mental Attitude Advisor. I was 16 and have considered myself an optimist ever since.

Sunshine & Time

Have you ever grown nasturtiums? Known on my street as the "eat-able" flowers (you remember my Garden Club Girls, right?), nasturtiums are easy to grow from seed and are edible (if you avoid sprays and fertilizer). My Mom & I rely on Renee's Garden Seeds for our garden and have already ordered this year's assortment. With names like "Whirlybird" and "Creamsicle," how can you resist? Simply fill a pot with dirt, push the seeds in and water. After that, all you need is sunshine & time. These bright blooms are beautiful in arrangements and striking on their own.

Women Entrepreneur Event

It was about this time last year that I was headed to icy Chicago for Country Living magazine's Women Entrepreneur event. The view from my room had Lake Michigan in the distance and I could see bands of ice on the lake. Brrrrr....

So it is no surprise that the editors of Country Living magazine have scheduled this year's 2009 Women Entrepreneur event in Chicago in May. Hailing a cab, jogging along the lake shore, shopping the Magnificent Mile - all of it will be much more pleasant with the warmer weather.

Do you have a small business? Do you want to learn more about marketing your company and the business of trade shows? If so, I encourage you to attend this event - it is always packed with interesting women "making things happen."

I was a Country Living Pitch Your Product winner (for my company, Subscribe To Delight) at this event in 2007 and found the entire experience to be amazing.

So consider making your way to Chicago this Spring. You'll walk away with a network of like-minded businesswomen, a ton of valuable advice from the experts and lots of inspiration...plus an adorable tote bag full of goodies!

Bella Cucina

I have always been drawn to Bella Cucina products because of their beautiful packaging. I love the shape of their glass jars (with fancy paper lids) and coupled with a cherry wood spoon, they are the perfect hostess gift. You can shop for Bella Cucina online and in boutique shops across America.
I particularly like Bella Cucina's Meyer Lemon spread and Artichoke Lemon pesto.
So imagine my surprise when I was shopping a neighborhood in Atlanta (The Highlands) and saw the Bella Cucina store. I had stumbled upon the only retail location for the company!

It was gorgeous. Completely true to the design aesthetic of the company and I had a hard time tearing myself away. They had beautiful pesto cheese tortes to sample (yum!) and a darling salesgirl that really knew the product. Such a lovely place to shop. What did I buy? Well, among other things, I bought a Bella Cucina espresso cup. I have been drinking a shot of pomegranate juice every day and I thought a pretty Italian cup was the perfect vessel for it. Salute!

She Sells Sea Shells

There is an almost blase feeling about shells in Florida. The sweet shops and juice stands are overflowing with so many gorgeous specimens that they are often heaped in baskets or bins.

But once you get them on their own, they absolutely sing. I took my time last year and selected these 3 perfect shells: a Pencil Starfish, Sand Dollar and a Lavender Sea Urchin. What a display...I can't wait for my peonies!

If you ever want to try crafting with shells (like making a picture frame or sailor's valentine), check out Marian McEvoy's book, Glue Gun Decor. I promise you will be inspired.

Spring Clothes & Sweet Treats

In kindergarten, our class learned the alphabet by interacting with giant inflatable letters. We would walk around the room trying to carry "vowels" or our initials. Seems silly now, but it really made the alphabet fun.

Somehow these wildly "out-of-scale" pastries remind me of my grade school days, when everything seemed too big. I think the message here is that Spring clothes & French pastries have a lot in common:
They are beautiful, sweet and you simply can't resist!

Cigar Box Purses

I started my business, ANA Designs Inc., by creating beautiful cigar box purses (a few limited editions are still available online). Gorgeous one-of-a-kind handbags that are signed, numbered and have lovely fabric linings. Truly show-stoppers. It was for them that I came up with my ceramic ANA hang tag and customs stamp ("Passed As Super Cute").

One of my first online customers bought two purses and then called me the moment they arrived. "I don't know what to do!" she exclaimed and my stomach dropped. Was something wrong?

The next thing I knew she was talking about displays, FedEx and a party. Huh? The grand opening of her interior design store in Seattle was the next night and she loved my purses so much she was asking if I could overnight 10 more. She was buying them to display around her store as something both "beautiful and interesting."

It was my first taste of what I call "the enthusiasm of strangers." I have been trying to make people that happy ever since.

Honey Bar

Over the holidays, we had a dinner party and this little writing desk "became" a tea & coffee station. It looked so cute that I have permanently deemed it "The Honey Bar" in honor of the bee skep tea set I found (love it!) and all the honey-related items that have been given to me over the years.

My sweet mother-in-law gave me the crystal honey pot, my friend Angie gave me the Longaberger tea basket (see the station wagon "tie-on" loaded for vacation? She says it is in honor of my weekend trips up north). The honey spoons are like lollipops and make teatime extra special. Ohhh...and see the jar on the shelf? It is filled with heart-shaped candied ginger. Now who wouldn't want a cup of tea from this little station? Oh, honey....

Palm Beach Style

The style of The Palm Beaches is having an effect on me! I saw this lemon-print fabric (when I was on a shopping expedition with my niece) and just had to make myself a purse.

A roomy little number that can hold everything a girl needs for a jaunt about town or a day at the beach. It works as well with white pants and a simple blouse, as it does with a breezy beach cover-up. I also made a matching eyeglass case (for giant sunglasses) and a yellow keyring. I designed it with elastic, so I can wear it like a bracelet - a girl's gotta keep tabs on the key to the ocean gate, right?

Ahhh...when life gives you lemons, make something cute!

A Glass Forest

A few years ago we had a mid-Winter storm that coated every surface with ice. I could hear the ping-ping of freezing rain hitting the windows all night and I remember wondering if the power was going to go out. By the next morning, the storm had passed and we had bright blue skies and full sun. Each tree looked like it had been dipped in glass. It was a photographer's dream.

Whimsy & Flavor

I am working on an article about how "things you love" can be brought together with remarkable results.

As an example, I love:

• the taste of candy
• photography
• beautiful packaging
  

and the result is this darling candy collage.

This image is full of whimsy and flavor. Let your eyes slide along the packages and see which products you can "taste."

Country Home magazine

One of my favorite memories is attending the 2005 Country Home "Be Creative" event in New York City. My dear friend, Kerry met me in New York and we spent the day at design lectures, book signings and enjoying a perfect Fall day in Central Park. I had hoped that this event would hosted again, but I am sad to say that the magazine has ceased publication all together. The April 2009 issue that I received in the mail yesterday will be their last.

I have 74 back issues of Country Home in "The Reeves Library" (my linen closet) so at least I will be able to refer back to years of beautiful articles. I wanted you to know right away in case you'd like to print off favorite recipes etc. from their website - it is anyone's guess how long the online content will be available.

I'd like to say thank you to the editors of Country Home for publishing a glorious magazine. I have loved every page.

Hail the Hibiscus

I love the candy-like colors of tropical flowers. This beauty is a hibiscus, blooming easily in the Florida landscape. The bushes are usually loaded with flowers wafting in the breeze, relaxed, as if creating an 8-inch bloom wasn't a major accomplishment.

I usually see hibiscus blooming in some one's pretty landscaping. If I had a bush of my own, I would pluck a flower off the stem and tuck it behind my ear like a movie star in Hawaii.

I was thinking that I'd like a nail polish this color, wouldn't you?

Mermaids

Aren't these bubble beautiful?

This picture could be the inspiration for a folktale. Something about a mermaid washing her hair in the surf. The waves were churning just enough to create a foam. Simply gorgeous...

Deep Blue Sea

I have been drawn to the colors of the Atlantic lately. Turquoise, aqua, marine blue. These fishermen are spending the day soaking up the deep blue sea. I wonder what type of fish they caught...

Are you looking for a new way to serve fish? Broil a firm white fish with butter and lemon, then serve with homemade Pineapple Relish.

Pineapple Relish
Mix a jar of pineapple preserves, 1/4 cup chopped green onion, a few sprigs of fresh mint and 2 Tablespoons of rice vinegar.

Worth Avenue

There is nothing like spending the afternoon shopping Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Florida. The shops here are the best of the best (Dior, Pucci, Hermes), but what I really like is simply strolling the avenue soaking up the atmosphere. There are endless courtyards and outdoor "living rooms" designed to charm its guests with fountains, mirrored walls and lush plantings. Bougainvillea vines have climbed these walls for decades and accent the old buildings like raspberry curtains. Take a moment and imagine walking through this archway with me on a lovely afternoon...

Creme Brulee

Sometimes a sweet bite after dinner makes the evening complete. My husband loves creme brulee and we shared this gorgeous dessert at our anniversary dinner last year.

At home, I have made creme brulee for 12 by using a few Dean Jacobs' dessert kits. The ramekins, dessert mix, sugar crystals and torch are all included. Nothing says "party" like firing up a (culinary) blow torch in the kitchen. I'm not kidding - I think people like to try something new.

Imagine the stories later:
"I was at this terrific party last night...we laughed and talked and I got to use a torch after dinner!" Priceless.

Moments of Delight

This is my 500th blog post.

My name is Anne Reeves and I am an entrepreneur dedicated

to bringing the world Moments of Delight.

I am including the forward from my book to relay how I feel

on the day of this big achievement, my 500th post.

Thank you for reading.

Delight can be found by appreciating
what is right in front of you.
In a cupcake or a sunset.
in a wonderful story or a lavender field.
You can enjoy these moments in your life,
if you slow down and look for them.

I’ll show you and then you’ll start to see it.

This book combines gardening, crafting,

baking, collecting,
travel, story-telling and entertaining -
punctuated by my photography and
rolled into the state of mind I call delight.

As you read through this book, notice which pages you react to.
Notice how happy you feel, simply by thinking.

I find delight all over my life...
at different times of day,
in different cities and settings,
with people that I love and in strangers that I meet.

These are Moments of Delight...

Resort Collection

I have been designing jewelry that has a distinct resort wear feel. Beautiful pieces that are fun on their own, but put them with khakis and a pretty t-shirt and the cute comes into focus. These limited edition bracelets ($20) will be offered on my website www.momentsofdelight.com in March. Each piece is signed and will ship April 1st. You can place orders now in colorways: Pink Palm (top), Sea foam (left) and Surf (right). Stack 2 or 3 for a super cute effect.

Plan an Escape

Can you hear the quiet? I couldn't think of a nicer place to watch the sun go down than on this deserted beach. All the sunbathers have given up the sand in lieu of a Lilly Pulitzer dress, some pearls and an icy tropical drink. I was able to sneak in this moment before heading off to my own dinner reservation. Shrimp cocktail, anyone?

Orchids

There is something about an orchid that can elevate a room. For years, it has been my "go to" plant for February and March, when the living room needs a little something special.

The widely available Phalaenopsis variety blooms for months and needs very little care. I thought it might be helpful to link to the American Orchid Society. I had the pleasure of visiting (and photographing) their unbelievable collection last year in Delray Beach, Florida and the colors and patterns were astounding.

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope your heart is filled with happiness.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Vintage Valentines

Valentine's Day has always been my favorite holiday. My Mom loves it too and we would throw Valentine's parties for my friends (remember this post?) all through elementary and middle school. We wore red, played games, drank red punch and wore heart stickers on our cheeks. It was wonderful to celebrate together and I think my Mom is a genius for planning it all. So throughout my life, one way or another I "overdo it" around Valentine's Day and my friends know it.

My dear friend, Dana, surprised me this year with antique vintage valentines! Imagine my delight when I opened the envelope and found these treasures. They were manufactured in Chicago by Carrington & Co in the 1920's-1930's - wow. I am going to attach a magnetic pin back to one of them and wear it to my niece's 5th grade party today. Thank you, Dana, from the bottom of my heart.

12 Days of Valentine's Day
Day 11: Do something to make someone feel loved. Call a far-away friend, frame an old photo and put it in a place of honor, do what feels right.

Free Inspiration

I love magazines so much and my instinct is to reach for every issue on the newsstand, particularly around the holidays. Put cupcakes on the cover and I am a goner. It was around this time of year that I realized the genius of the library. If I could carve out 30 minutes or so to stop in the library, I was able to "flip through" every issue on the newsstand for free. I subscribe to tons of magazines and want to support them, but there are "more magazines than I can have" being published right now.

By visiting the library, I can check out the Sweetheart Cakes at Better Homes and Garden, winter travel destinations at Travel & Leisure and see some Valentine's projects in Country Home.

12 Days of Valentine's Day
Day 10: Check out your local library for some free inspiration.

I Love Cookies

This is my grandmother's sugar cookie recipe. Enjoy it and be sure to pass it on. Good recipes are meant to be shared.

Nama's Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

2 Tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream butter in mixing bowl. Beat in sugar, egg, milk & vanilla. Add flour, salt & baking powder. Mix well. Divide dough in half and wrap in waxed paper. Chill in refrigerator at least one hour. Use plenty of flour on board, rolling pin & cookie cutters to prevent sticking. Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Bake at 375 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet (or use parchment paper) for 5-8 minutes.

Nama's Frosting

Mix 2 Tablespoons of hot water to 1 cup powdered sugar. Mix with knife. Tint with a drop or two of liquid food coloring.

Note: Using hot water makes the frosting shiny. Add drops of hot water as needed to perfect consistency.

12 Days of Valentines Day

Day 9: Make a batch of heart cookies and share with your neighbors.

Heart-shaped Pizza

Every year during the week leading up to Valentine's Day, Papa Romanos offers the "Love Pizza." It is a small heart-shaped pizza and I order one every year. For some reason it makes me very happy.

Want to make your own love pizza? It's easy with frozen pizza dough, Dei Fratelli pizza sauce and the toppings of your choice. Follow the pizza dough instructions and when the time comes, just shape it into a heart! You know they'll LOVE it. 

This photo is one that I took of a grocery store in Paris -doesn't it look like it is brimming with wonderful pizza toppings?

The Twelve Days of Valentines DayDay 8: Make or order a heart-shaped pizza.

Roses Are Red

I had a thought. Maybe this year, instead of a rose bouquet, you like a rose bush.

Wouldn't it be fun to pick out a beautiful rose from a catalog (or online) and then buy & plant it this Spring in honor of Valentine's Day? You'll have romantic roses in the garden all Summer long.

This is very romantic suggestion. You could choose any variety you want: "Falling In Love", "Truly Yours", "Summer Love."

Tape a picture of it on the refrigerator and look forward to bloom after bloom.

(This rose is a David Austin English Rose that was named after David's mother, Lillian Austin.)

The Twelve Days of Valentines Day
Day 7: Plan to have flowers in your life - either by picking up a bouquet at the grocery store or by planning a symbolic planting this Spring.

Crystal Heart Pendant

This time of year, it seems that every television commerical is for a heart-shaped pendant in a velvet box. Romantic gestures are lovely, but you can guarantee that you'll have something pretty around your neck if you make it yourself.

I designed this necklace to be simple, elegant and cost less than $11 to make. All the supplies you need can be found at Michael's Craft store:
1 metal chain in soft-gold by Fresh (you'll need 18 inches)
1 packet of "Golden Shadow" Jolee's Jewels crystal bicones
1 packet of gold-plated 3 inch head pins (you'll need only 1 pin)
1 packet of gold-plated 10 mm jump rings (you'll need only 2 jump rings)
A needle-nose pliers (with wire cutter in head)
Slide 20 crystals onto a head pin. After 20th crystal is on, use a needle-nose pliers to gently bend tip up a tiny bit (this will prevent crystals from sliding off). With your hands, start by gently bending the crystal-covered pin in the middle and then arch each end into a heart shape. Be slow and gentle. Now you have a heart.
Measure 18 inches of the chain. Wear safety goggles. Using the "wire cutter" portion of the needle-nose plier head, snip through the first link after 18 inches and the excess chain will fall away. Now your necklace is 18 inches long.
Using needle-nose pliers, bend open 2 jump rings. Place one ring through heart and then through the last link of the necklace, bend closed. Your crystal heart is now attached to chain.
Drape chain around your neck with the heart in the front. Slide second jump ring through heart and then through the last link of the necklace, bend jump ring closed with fingers. This jump ring works as the "clasp." (Over time, this jump ring may need to be replaced as it will be bent often as you take it on and off. Simply pull out a new jump ring from the packet you bought and replace as needed.)
Voila! A pretty heart necklace with almost no skill required.
The Twelve Days of Valentines Day
Day 6: Dig through your jewelry box and wear some love-inspired jewelry.

Heart-shaped Waffles

It is Day 5 of the Twelve Days of Valentine's Day! Time to break out the heart-shaped waffles and pancakes. We were given a heart-shaped waffle maker as an engagement present (17 years ago!) and it still works like a dream. My favorite waffle mix is Classique Fare Belgian Waffle Mix - you can find it in most specialty grocery stores and I think you'll agree, it is worth it. This batter also makes delicious heart-shaped pancakes - yum! Get out some pretty plates and dig in. I just know you'll love it.
The Twelve Days of Valentines Day
Day 5: Make heart-shaped waffles or pancakes this weekend.

Valentine Dishtowels

I bought three white & red dishtowels at IKEA ($.49 cents each!) and my first thought was to embroider my monogram on them with red thread. It would be really cute, right?

Then I realized that if I marked my plans with a red fabric pen it would look like hand-work, but be much more modern. Voila! Two minutes later I have a set of personalized Valentines dishtowels.

The Twelve Days of Valentines Day
Day 4: Get out your red, pink and heart-related dishtowels to brighten up the kitchen. Or better yet, make some of your own!

Meringue Cocoa Kisses

Have you ever baked meringue cookies? They are light and crunchy and use only 4 ingredients.
Heart-shaped Meringue Kisses
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Using the whisk attachment on your mixer, beat 4 egg whites until bubbly and beginning to foam. Add 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar and beat until very stiff and glossy. While whisking, slowly pour one cup of white granulated sugar and 1 Tablespoon Valrhona cocoa powder into the bowl until mixed.
Put batter into a gallon-size ziploc bag. Squeeze contents into one corner and fold bag so that it can be a "piping bag" for you. Trim off 1/4 inch of corner and squeeze batter in a small "V" shaped onto parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 275, then raise oven temperature to 300 and bake for approximately 10-20 minutes more. (Some meringue recipes call for baking at 175 degrees for 1 hour and 40 minutes, but my timing and temp works for me.) I bake one sheet at a time to avoid burning. Cookies should be dry and a little chewy on the bottom.
The Twelve Days of Valentines Day
Day 3: Bake heart-shaped cookies and eat them all week.

Making Valentines

This year I am using a quick & easy way to make my own Valentines. I am scanning a vintage Valentine (more than 100 yrs old), duplicating the image on a MS Word document and then printing them out on 8 1/2 x 11 heavy white card stock. I will then have a sheet of postcards that I can cut out, address and mail. USPS requires postcards to be between 5-6 inches in length and 3 1/2 - 4 inches in height. Postcards can be mailed with just $.27 in postage (a bargain, I think).

I'll write corny things like "I LOVE that we're friends" and mail them to friends
and relatives far and wide. Why not? It's the 12 Days of Valentine's Day!
The Twelve Days of Valentines Day
Day 2: Make a list of who you are sending Valentines to (that's Anne with an "e") and decide if you are going to make or buy this year. Then shop for what you need.

12 Days of Valentines Day

Today marks Day One, of the 12 Days of Valentines Day. For the next 12 days we will be celebrating love and friendship with color and creativity.











Here are some suggestions that might help you celebrate:

1. Gestures can be as big or small as you like
2. Recipients can be anyone you know - bake for a neighbor, leave a treat for the mailman, send a card to your college roommate. See what I mean?
3. Lots of food items look cute in a heart shape.
4. Wearing red & pink "counts" as celebrating. So does digging a heart necklace out of your jewelry box and wearing it.
5. Celebrating this way should make YOU (and everyone around you) feel good and light-hearted.

I will give you a suggestion here each day, but it is just to give you a nudge.
Won't you celebrate with me? The more you talk about it, the more others will be intrigued. "What was today?" they'll ask.

Day 1: Hang something Valentines-y on your front door.

Drama Queen

We were headed to our reservation at Kyma in Buckhead (for a delicious Greek dinner finished with Olive Oil ice cream!) when I saw her.

The store (next to Kyma) had an all-glass front filled with mannequins dressed to the nines. Behind the party-girls, you could see huge racks filled with peacock-colored gowns. I had to take a photograph. When I approached the glass, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

This drama queen was guarding the front door. For a girl made of plastic, I think she looks amazing.