The Ultimate Luxury

  This weekend certainly had me thinking. I spent it with my two best friends, soaking up the sunshine across the Golden Gate bridge at a dear friend's home. Early mornings were spent with refreshing swims in the pool, followed by coffee on the terrace while listening to the birds hum their morning tune and watching the sun fill the yard with its warmth. We hunted for fresh cherry tomatoes and scallions in the garden for omelet ingredients, and later poured ourselves into books and magazines by the dark-bottomed pool. I found myself reflecting on how simple our days were, yet how happy they made me. Perhaps this is the definition of summer to many, however that definition changes when you live in San Francisco. Just the vision of lush shrubs and greenery and the act of sourcing our breakfast ingredients from the garden filled my soul with delight. A joyful garden, in my opinion, is an ultimate luxury. I am devoting this post to the simplicities of life and the beauty and luxury they often bestow. Images above are from Mark D. Sikes' curated collection via Pinterest. Be sure to follow his blog, also, a C&C favorite!

Chef

I just saw 'Chef' the delightful feel-good flick meets culinary comedy about a chef who in the depth of his career, takes a risk to follow his passion for cooking, ultimately bringing him close to the things that matter most in his life, namely, his son. Thematically, we've all seen films of this sort, however I found it refreshing as a new-age, lighthearted reminder of the things dear to our personal joy. The film is accompanied by a fun cast, snappy soundtrack, and a road trip to some good old-fashioned cuisine capitals. View the trailer, here.

Sentiments

Today marks the third day in a row where I've come across geraniums - either in person or via photograph. They immediately make me think of my Father, who had a collection of geraniums in various terra cotta pots in his home office growing up. They dotted the window sill in hues of pinks and reds, next to a bookshelf chalked full of CDs, cassette tapes and stereo equipment. Along with his boat log, chappy motorcycles and pretty much any possession relating to any said water sport, his geraniums provided him with great joy - and were not to be touched. I learned this the hard way when I "borrowed" a few of his geraniums to spruce up my backyard at my summer pad in Newport. When my parents came over for a barbeque after a night out on the water, my theft was revealed. I was scolded and told to promptly return them to their rightful, nurturing proprietor. To my credit, the potted geraniums made a fabulous addition to my backyard.

Frothy Fiction

After I finish my current read for book club, I plan on getting my hands on The Vacationers. NPR dubbed it as a "frothy beach read" and Preston Davis gave it the thumbs up, so you know it's a good pick.