Author: MS

reading recommends – book, nook and kindle

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I can’t believe this. I have stayed away from reading recommends because I was trying to delay the inevitable. But more and more, people are switching over to the nook, kindle and every other gadget out there as their choice for reading  materials. I get the craze, but I am sad to see the paperbacks and hardbacks slowly disappear along with mom and pop bookstores.  It was nice to stop staring at a computer screen for a few hours and be able to curl up on a bed or a couch and read an actual “book” but these are the times and those are our choices and although I am having a difficult time accepting it, I know eventually I will become a minority with the way I feel about it. Anyway, here are some interesting books I discovered while shuffling through the gadget category. Let me know if you have read any of them and what you think or if you would consider reading any of them sometime in the near future.

michael kors – casual spring trends for 2012

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The weather is amazing  in San Francisco these days and although I am loving every minute of it, I am thrown off by the warm and sunny days we are experiencing in the middle of winter.  With the strange weather, I can’t help but shift gears in the fashion department. So I have found some interesting ensembles here to consider for the “upcoming” Spring season.

healthy recipe: chile with chocolate and chipotle

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I love chile, but hate the ground meat version of it, so for this weekend’s football party I wanted to make a pot of chile and serve it up with some amazing San Francisco sourdough, cheddar cheese and lots of chopped onions. Check out the recipe I found here Ingredients Cooking spray 2 cups diced onion (about 1 large) 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, minced 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup light sour cream Chopped green onions (optional) Preparation Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and turkey to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until turkey is browned and vegetables are tender. Add sugar and next 9 ingredients (through chipotle) to pan, stirring to blend; bring …

the over 40 celebrity fashion for the golden globes 2012

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I watch the Golden Globe awards religiously every year and outside of appreciating the winners and admiring the losers for their excellent sportsmanship, I focus on the gown choices by every celebrity walking the red carpet. This year, however, I was a little disappointed with the over 40crowd and their choice of gown. I don’t know, maybe I am too critical when it comes to celebrity fashion, but see for yourself and let me know what you think?

inspirational woman over 40: vanessa paradis

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I hadn’t seen a foreign film for a while and so last night I logged into Netflix and watched the film Heartbreak (English title) with Vanessa Paradis  (For those of you who don’t know of her, she is Johnny Depp’s wife). Anyway, I have reviewed the film on my other blog here, but in keeping with the theme of this blog, I just want to say French women (over 40) are truly beautiful no matter what flaws they may have.  I love the fact, no matter how the critics treat Vanessa for the gap in her teeth, she, like Twiggy (from the 60s) march on without a care in the world.  Apparently, that hasn’t stopped her from working as an actor, singer or a model even to this day. The funny thing is if she were in the U.S., since we are so stuck on imagine, she would have been forced to fix her imperfections to stay in the industry.     I just wanted to say thank you Vanessa for staying true to yourself, it …

fashion: winter to spring transition

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Since we  have been experiencing Spring like weather here in San Francisco, it has become truly challenging to dress for the weather since at the crack of dawn, when I get ready for work, it’s 32degrees and by lunch time it’s 65degrees and then by the evening it dips back down to the 30s again,  I am at a loss with my business casual attire. The only saving grace, living in a city like San Francisco, is that most women here have transition clothes for the ever changing weather, which is ok to wear in winter, spring to summer and fall.  So with that said, I have put together some things from my closet which I consider transition clothes from Winter to Spring. 1. Burberry London Knitted Silk Cardigan USD550 (winter) 2. Dolce Gabana Cotton blend shirt USD325 (Staple) 3. Calvin Cline Knit V-Neck Cardigan 675 (spring) 4. Ralph Lauren Collection Corrine Suede boots USD460 (winter) 5. Stella McCartney Alyssa Wool-twill Skirt USD585 (Staple) 6. DKNY leather tote USD325 (Staple) 7. Stella McCartney Faux python …

interior decor surprises

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Wow, that was a tough first week, getting back into the swing of things after the holiday celebrations. But for some strange reason once I packed my christmas tree away on Sunday, my brain kicked into gear and I began outlining what I foresee the new year would be like in my life or household. One thingI realized is thatI haven’t talked much about interior decor. I guess since I am always wanting to change my decor around, I decided it was best to stop looking for a while. But the urge to redecorate is back and I can’t help but look for options once again. Here are some ideas  I found here, which I  couldn’t help but fall in love with. I know there is a bit of a safari feel to my latest decor love, but I think it’s the exotic feel to the rooms that  captured my interest the most.      

light recipe: glazed figs with mascarpone cream

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I love fresh figs and will probably eat an entire basket of them any chance I get, so last night or early this morning, since I couldn’t sleep, I decided to search online for a recipe I wanted to try over the weekend and found it here. The funny thing is, around the bay area, we can find fresh figs at a local market pretty much the entire year, no matter if they are out of season. Anyway, check out the recipe and let me know what you think? Keep in mind if you have nut allergies, to avoid the walnuts. Ingredients Cream: 2 cups mascarpone 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons icing sugar (confectioners’) Glazed Figs: 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon orange zest 1 pint fresh figs, halved 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped Special equipment: an electric mixer Directions For the cream: In an electric mixer whip the mascarpone until smooth. Continue whipping and slowly add the cream in a steady stream. Add the sugar and whip for 3 minutes. For the …

starting the new year in muir woods

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By the 31st of December, I was completely restless, sentimental and somewhat anxious for the day to end. I honestly can’t pint point the why behind the way I felt, but I just did. So with champagne toast in hand at almost midnight, I did my normal countdown to (now)  with Ryan Seacrest in New York and then after watching the after party show, I went to sleep After sleeping in on New Year’s day and then driving home in heavy traffic, back to San Francisco, I decided that if the weather permitted, I would  spend  day two of the new year somewhere outdoors. So, of course on January 2nd, when  I saw the sun shining  and the weather  unusually warm  for the season, we got in the car and drove up to  Muir Woods, just 40 miles or so North of San Francisco and spend the day walking about the beautiful redwoods, while my friends and I contemplated how we foresee the new year to be. Actually, while they talked, I took photographs. Check …