tira-i will miss-u :(

my long-time, best friend roxanne celebrated her big 21st birthday in athens this weekend. rox is leaving me (and the rest of america i guess..) for 5 whole months on thursday to study abroad in australia. very sad for me, but very exciting for her.

the girl has lived a life of travel & adventure to say the least. as a toast to 21 years & her future explorations of coral reefs & kangeroos in the land down under, i whipped together a yummy & super simple tiramisu. not a bite left!

lady fingers dipped in espresso

layered on top of coffee-flavored mascarpone cheese & fresh whipped cream

sprinkled with cocoa. a little messy, but we didn't mind

...

to my best, i love you.

my little sardine can

i'm a firm believer that a home should be warm & inviting. i like to think that our quaint little apartment is just that. it's raw brick walls & high wooden cieilings have loads of charm (it used to be an old cotton refinery) even if the entire place is roughly the size of a large garage. the flat roof lets the rain echo through the rooms & on sunny days there's no need for artificial lighting. i love it here :o)

here is a look inside of my little nook.

sushi tray turned jewlery collection.

...



wall collage. pictures of friends. stills from africa.
the fashion sketches i found at my aunt's antique, treasure-shop in savannah.

lemonade

i've recently fallen in love with julia child. i know, cliche for a blogger to only really get to know her because of "julie & julia". but i personally thought the movie would have been worlds better if julie never even came into play. reading "my life in france", it's evident that julia child really lived a full life. she had so much enthusiasm for everything; cooking, travel, her husband, even perfect strangers at the paris farmer's market. julia's insatiable thirst for life is my newest inspiration not only in the kitchen, but in my own life.

in honor of julia, i want to wake up everyday & make the most of it. i want to squeeze every drop out of my daily lemon. i want to eat ice-cream (or frozen yogurt...) for breakfast, cook bananas foster just to play with fire, smile to strangers on the street & wear my new leather skirt on a friday night because i want to!

here's to a bright new week. happy monday :)

images: audrey hepburn complex & vogue australia

new year

as cliche as it sounds, the beginning of january is the most liberating time of year to me. i'm always ranting the daily, "my diet starts tomorrow", then ordering chinese or going to see my loves, mr. ben & mr. jerry (very nurturing fellows). but i'm bound & determined to make this year different. i want to become more active phsically as well as mentally. a friend told me to write down my resolutions so that i'll actually stick to them so, here they are...

1. shed the holiday weight by actually eating right & working out. i want abs this year!

2. taking better care of myself, i.e. less drinking, less processed food, more energy

3. being a more balanced person: friends, family, work, school, study abroad, internships, art

4. read more books & adopt a hobby of watching more classic, old movies.

5. cook more.

6. have more self-confidence.

7. dress with purpose & only buy things i really adore. style icons for the year, the olsen twins

8. explore athens a little more. i've been there three years & don't know it as intimately as i should.

9. watch less television. (gossip girl is exempt to this).

10. my most important resolution: LOVE. love myself, making sure my family & friends know i love them, loving each day. treating it more as a gift to others than just waiting for it to happen to me. everything comes full circle. have a little faith in the karma payment plan.