The Only Kind of Cheddar I Love

And it begins: Cheddar decides my lap is the comfiest spot.

Autumn, the calm little calico girl who likes to share the bed when possible.

No Cheddars were harmed in the making of this photograph. Goofball posed like this all on his own under my bicycle!

I get ready to say goodbye to my little foster baby. 


I'm hours away from heading to the airport for my trip to London and Dublin but while my stomach is in knots and I'm worrying about anything I've forgotten or how I can squish another pair of shoes in my too-small suitcase, I'm also missing Cheddar and Autumn, the foster kitties Mark and I somehow ended up with in our too-small apartment for about two months. When we got them, they were tiny. I'm serious-they looked like little kitty aliens with their giant eyes, wobbly legs, and lack of personality and I figured that since I am not particularly crazy about orange and calico cats I'd be fine caring for them and letting them go. Yeah right. That all changed as I got to see their personalities emerge (and the more Cheddar decided we were going to be buddies), and when Saturday morning I took them back to Sante d'Or, the awesome animal rescue where I volunteer, I wanted to bawl (so I did a little bit last night, whatever). These goofy little lovebugs will thankfully be going home together since they are bonded, and who ever gets them better be as balls to the wall awesome as they are! If you live in LA and need a little extra love in your life please consider this wonderful pair.

Mini Meal Woman

I'm a major snack ho. I'd much rather each a bunch of snacks throughout the day than have proper, sit down, meals. Lately I've been obsessed with both goat cheese and figs. I am probably one of the only people out there that really doesn't care about cheese one way or the other (I, gasp, even think soy cheese is okay so long as it's melted), but the creamy tang of goat cheese is the perfect foil for my annoyingly insatiable sweet tooth and compliment to the veggies like spinach and beets which I love. As for the figs, I had a fig tree growing up and my dad couldn't have paid me to eat one, so who knows where that one has come from. Either way, thankfully the two go perfectly together and after picking up some Feral Honey from local LA bees (take that, allergies!) at  The Village Bakery in Atwater Village, I've been treating myself to a snack that's akin to a simple summer picnic in my mouth. I spread goat cheese on crackers and top with either the honey or this ridiculously tasty fig jam from Girl and the Fig that I picked up at the Cheese Store of Silverlake. Next time I'm out I will pick up some nice peppery, dry salami to take it over the edge.

Fonuts According To A Real Nut

A few months ago the former pastry chef of Jose Andres's Bazaar opened up Fonuts, a shop devoted to baked donuts. While the reception has been lukewarm at best, with most people annoyed at the idea of selling round pieces of cake as donuts, I am willing to try anything simultaneously sweet and cutesy. What can I say? Sometimes even if  don't believe the hype, I reaaally want to anyway. Besides, tempted by the holiday flavors of pumpkin and gingerbread, I was willing to risk disappointment for the sake of sugary comforts.

The gluten free pumpkin was delicious. Seriously, the moistness of the cake coupled with just a touch of overtly sweet glaze, the spiciness, and the fact that it was devoid of wheat flour, made it something worth coming back for and a delicious morning treat with some strong coffee. Sadly, there was no gingerbread on the day so I went with salted caramel. Mistake! The salt suffered from the stickiness of the caramel and mostly stuck to the bag it was packaged in. But even the salty-sweet combo couldn't have saved this sad donut imposter. The cake itself was incredibly dry and sort of spongy, with the caramel weirdly textured. It reminded me of childhood experiences back in the day when my mom would buy a box of hideous Kosher for Passover cake mix for the sedar dessert and the result was something even a sugar-crazed kid wouldn't touch. Not sure how that's even possible, but after one bite I was ready to chuck it in the bin. There seems to be a real inconsistency in the cakes here (some of the donuts are half the size of others but still upwards of $3? Bitch, please) and unfortunately, it leaves me feeling like Fonut is a bit bipolar rather than just acting like something it's not. So would I still be willing to risk it on gingerbread? Well...I did say I'm a nut, didn't I?


Ist photo courtesy CurveWire

Decor From the Parlor Room Days

Gold tone bamboo detailed casserole dish by Hall.

Crystal table lamps by Leviton that would be perfect on matching nightstands.

Royal blue velvet bench for the end of a bed. 

This mirrored dresser is actually far prettier in person, without the antiqued mirror effect the photo suggests.

Brass pineapple figure that doubles as a bell (for back in the days when it was customary to have help?)

While I've always been a fan, I'm particularly loving the Hollywood Regency style at the moment. Lacquer, lucite, nailhead trim, tufted fabrics, bamboo detailing, brass figurines, and mirrors galore make for a glamorous (if bordering right on the edge of tacky) look that is so deliciously girly and decadent. My apartment is currently looking more like a junkyard than a sophisticated glamazon's parlor, but thanks to resale sites like 1st Dibs, Etsy, and eBay there's hope for the future.

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