We got the house!

Now comes the hard part: Packing all the books...

Maybe I should have opted for a Kindle after all!

(Photo by Liis Klammer.)

A new place to call home...

After a year of apartment living, we put in a bid on a little cottage in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. The house is tiny but the yard is huge -- and I'm really looking forward to starting a new garden.

We're hoping to find out today or tomorrow if we have the house.

Please keep your fingers crossed it works out this time!

(Collage by Little Gold Poppy.)

What's Your Favorite Book?

For me, it's still "A Moveable Feast," maybe because I read it every time I go to Paris.

What about you?

(Photo by Sabino Aguad.)

Lunch at Louie's: Dining on Blue Macarons

There's a restaurant two blocks away from my downtown LA office
that has the most amazing macarons...




The blue ones are filled with chocolate and taste like candy.
For a moment today I felt like I was at Ladurée.
Sigh...

Penguin Foodie Books

This is why I could go broke buying Penguin books...

Beautiful illustrations by Coralie Bickford-Smith.

The Great Food Series on pre-order here.

Monday Media Bits...

A little round up of interesting links:

A Glimpse of Maira Kalman's Home Office

T Magazine features the lived-in look.

Was the new Jane Eyre movie too tame?

A look inside Nico Magazine.

(Photo above by illustrator Lizzy Stewart.)

And now, I'm going to bed because it's actually almost Tuesday!

Sunday at the Flea Market

Plein-aire paintings, vintage glasses, theatre programs,
old skateboards, wire flower frogs,
plastic bead necklaces,
rose quartz and sodalite,
and me, on the run,
trying to do
the Pasadena City College flea market
in an hour!

My score of the day:
A Victorian cameo brooch.

(More on my flickr page.)

It's Spring: Time to redesign

Hello! I have made a few changes here this morning on the English Muse. I have a new header, by
the very talented artist, Lori Langille.
One of the joys of life is redecorating (blogs in included!)

What are you doing this weekend? It's like summer here and I'm going to the flea market to treasure hunt!! Will bring back pictures!

PS: I'm still tinkering with the background. I'll probably change it 20 more times. Do you do this sort of thing too?
Maybe I'm looking at my blog too much. :)

(Illustration, above, also by Lori.)

The Inspiration Journals of Rachel Duarte

I love finding inspiration journals on flickr -- like little windows into other people's creative souls. This one was created by Rachel Duarte. Her "rules for being human" are so lovely and true.

Clever Bookshelf...

I love this little bookshelf. It seems perfect for bedside reading. My nightstand is stacked with so many books and magazines at the moment, there's barely room for the lamp...


Photo, above, from here. Bookshelf, by David Design, for sale here.

Hope you're having a lovely week!