love letter

Dear December,

Oh, how I love thee. Let me count the ways. You are the month that represents such joy and merriment, and you will always be my favorite. I know x-mas tunes and holiday lights annoy the crap outta some people, but I heart them. And I heart you. I'm really, totally stoked to see you once again... in less than two hours! We will eat ginger-flavored things, and drink mulled beverages, and frolick together through snow. And sing aloud to Christmas songs, irritated onlookers be damned!

I'm counting down the minutes, and embrace your return wholeheartedly.

Now let's do this.

Love,
Lauri

snow in the wind on a sunny day

It was this week a year ago that I first moved up to the land of French Canada and began my three-month, much-too-short love affair with Quebec. It's been an incredibly full, and insanely quick, last twelve months. I'm remembering my time there very fondly.

yeah, well, moby says raw food is great for you

What I've put into my body in the last 3 hours:

- a sensible, vegetable-heavy dinner
- a glass of wine
- seven dark-chocolate-covered espresso beans
- three freshly baked anzac cookies
- a glass of rice milk
- approximately 1/2 cup of anzac cookie dough
- an estimated quarter pound of scone batter

... and I didn't even mention the handful of peanut M&M's I stole from the receptionist after lunch today. I am just FULL of love. Brimming over the top (of my pants) with it. So much so that I a) cannot move, b) am 5 minutes away from passing out in a sugar coma, and c) must absolutely run tomorrow. And d) am totally surprised that I'm still writing coherent sentences (though I had to attempt to spell "sentences" three times just now).

food = love, right?

These days, all I really wanna do is bake and be baked for. And so, this last week has been chock full of delicious breakfast and hearty suppers ...and pain au chocolat that I haven't tasted so superb since my time up in baby France, from my new favorite place that also sells my new favorite pastry: cardamom pretzels. Holy chouette, outstanding.

And in between munching on homemade and bakery-bought deliciousness, I've been unpacking all the crap I brought up from TX, brushing up on my French, planning my LAST EVER 20-something birthday party (even though I have a whole month to do it), and watching my cat do amusingly endearing stuff like clean her face and lay belly-up, staring at the mirror and lovingly admiring her own reflection. So even if love in the form of baby France ain't here no mo', life is entertaining enough, with just enough love to get me through the fall.

how to have a deliciously cozy, lazy, lounge-y weekend

Step 1.

Make some comfort food. For instance: chili, cornbread, and spice-ilicious pumpkin muffins.

Step 2.

Watch as many old episodes of True Blood as your tired little heart desires. (Optional: Fawn over Stephen Moyer in that ridiculously sexy Bill Compton get-up.)

Step 3.

Brunch with some fabulously entertaining friends.

Step 4.

Get out and enjoy some sunshine.

Step 5. (and perhaps the most important)
Ignore, for the time being, any household obligations that may be trying to threaten your loafing.

(In my case, boxes spewed all over the apartment that rudely refuse to unpack themselves.)

Now you are ready to face your week. Have a good Monday.